


Fate Odyssey (A Smuggler's Tale)

by theeternalblue



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Alternate Universe - Space, Courtship, F/F, F/M, Fist Fights, Gunshot Wounds, Hunters & Hunting, Illegal Activities, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Planet Destruction, Royalty, Smuggling, Space Flight, Spaceships, failed engagement
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-25
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2019-11-05 08:22:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 40,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17915261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theeternalblue/pseuds/theeternalblue
Summary: Veronica Lodge lives a lonely life smuggling goods across the system to get-by. She cannot complain about her job, after all, it was her choice. That's why she's not at all happy when she's tricked into smuggling a prince across the system, just so he can escape his fate. This is the one risk she shouldn't take. This is the one thing that could reveal her secret.A very AU version of Riverdale.





	1. A Cyborg's Setup

**Author's Note:**

> This is a very strange story, that could become a monster of some sort if it's continued. I just had fun writing it, which is why I finished the first chapter in such short notice. Should I continue? I don't know. It might be difficult to follow or to come up with ideas for it. But I like SciFi, and I decided to try my hand at this. If you like it, please say so.
> 
> I'll try to include as much characters from Riverdale as I can. And I'll also add tags later, so I don't reveal the plot.

At finally five parsecs away from her last job, it certainly seemed like a good time to relax. She could still feel the desert grime from Hadrian sticking to her skin. The damn planet was a dump, but selling space junk gave her enough to survive between more profitable jobs like selling smuggled goods of any kind in the Verdaleir System.

The Diamond Dove was now on its way to Nignita in Terridine, still at seven-point-three parsecs of distance, and at cruise speed, there was more than enough time to get a proper bath and feel like a princess again.

Veronica Lodge slipped slowly into the large bathtub of her chambers. Grunts poured out of her mouth as the hot water welcomed her body. She certainly had a nice view of the Zetauri star at the moment. Bright and red, the supergiant even if young would have a short life, and even so would certainly outlive Veronica. She leaned back on the tub and enjoyed the music pouring out of the sound system of the ship and the last of the Nignita’s lavender soap. The Diamond Dove might’ve not look like the most expensive of ships, nor a large one either, but it was a jewel. Veronica’s jewel, as she had everything she needed in there. It was her home, and she was the sole crew member of it.

Once her fingers looked like prunes, Veronica left the tub and got dressed in her usual gear, minus her weapons. She was hungry, and slightly irritated, considering the only food left in the ship was dehydrated synthetic protein – basically dust to make a bland paste, that was enough to fulfill basic nutrition needs, but did nothing for her sweet-tooth.

“Smithers, how long until we arrive to Terridine?” she spoke loudly while pouring water into the powdered food.

A synthetized voice replied to her, “Four parsecs, Miss Veronica. If we used the deuterium transporter, we might arrive at midday of the next day at Nignita.”

She takes a spoonful of her dinner and pulls a face. “Activate the deuterium transporter and set an alarm for two hours before ETA. Also, send a message Kevin Keller to wait for me with a roasted duck.”

“Understood, Miss Veronica,” Smithers replied in its emotionless voice. The operative system of the Diamond Dove had been tweaked to manage everything on the ship, except for whatever it was on her chambers. Veronica had made sure to block everything that was in her private quarters except from the sound system, in case of attack. She knew how dangerous her job was.

With the bowl of food in hand, Veronica sat at the pilot position, and looked into the vast space before her. There weren’t ships at sight, but she knew distance could be nothing to some ships. And even if she was a successful smuggler, she was so small in the big plan that no one would bother to look at her twice. Not now, anyway. But they had once, and they probably would do it again in the future.

 

 

By the time she arrived to Nignita, Veronica was famished. She was sure she would’ve given a cybernetic arm for a duck and a pitcher of ogglep water. Fortunately, she didn’t need to do that, since Kevin was waiting for her with her favorite food at the dive he dared to call his _exclusive_ restaurant. Everyone in this quarter of the galaxy knew the place served as a hot spot for illegal business and political scheming, if not for the common cheating spouses.

“Sweetheart, you look disgusting,” Kevin muttered as he watched her take a big bite of a duck’s thigh, holding it with bare hands.

“Sorry, if I don’t look like royalty after five moon-months of eating star dust shit.” Veronica frowned, but quickly wiped her hands and mouth on a cloth napkin. A long swig of sweet and sour ogglep water was refreshing enough to calm her thirst. Just the water alone was too expensive to be a gift from Kevin, but she would pay for it. Ogglep flowers were rare and too expensive to cultivate even in the fertile ground of Terridine, she knew this well since she sold the seeds across the Verdaleir system from time to time. The Malina’s flower was a favorite among the rich.

She handed Kevin the money and he kept it without protest.

“You’re forgiven.”

She snorted a laugh. “So, heard of any good business lately?”

“Not much, except that Jughead is trying to find some sellers for weapons. He needs to get them out of here before the Sirteans can requisition them.”

“You think I’d do business with a cyborg? No. Once was enough. That bucket-head is too temperamental to have so many wires attached to what’s left of his brain.” Veronica drained the last of her drink and heaved a sigh. “Besides, you have to be crazy to be smuggling weapons in a planet at peace. The Andrews set the rules a long time ago, and I like to have where to come back and eat a decent meal. I don’t want to get banished.”

“He’s a cyborg, he fought during the Silver Wars of Arawath. He must be crazy after all that metal they put in him.”

Jughead Jones was a smuggler like Veronica, but he mostly dealt with weapons. Everyone knew the story of the boy who fought in the Silver Wars of Arawath and survived to tell the tale, even if it meant half of him was now machine. The Silver Wars had been the last great war in the system, and it was all for fuel and metal to build ships and weapons. All because of greed.

“Still, there must be something else,” Veronica said, leaning against the small table in the corner and watching the diverse crowd gathered in The Viper. Unfortunately, there was no one she trusted with goods of quality to make money. Times had been slow, and she didn’t want to just get-by on space junk.

“It’s been hard lately, even for the best of us.” Kevin leaned back on his chair, his embroidered vest fitted him perfectly. “I’d say not to be picky, V.”

“I thought business would pick up after the Sirtean Kingdom announced their precious prince’s engagement to Omia’s princess,” Veronica spat out with some sarcasm. She hated the fairytale lives of the galaxy royals.

Kevin chuckled. “Oh, yes. Archimedes and Elizabeth. Archie and Betty. Two sweet and naïve royals to keep peace in the system. But the announcement was recent, and there are rumors.”

“Rumors?” Veronica smirked, arching a mischievous eyebrow.

“They are absolutely boring, dear. It’s more fun to watch a duck getting roasted.”

Veronica laughed.

“Had you been a princess–“

Lifting a hand, Veronica stopped him. “That’s not the case, and will never be. Now, excuse me, but apparently I need to find one cyborg to do business with.” She got up, and outstretched a hand. Kevin placed the laser gun on Veronica’s hand – first and only policy at The Viper, no guns allowed.

“Have fun.”

“Oh, I will.”

 

“Don’t be an asshole!” Veronica shouted at the much taller man in front of her. “Well, that’s if you still have one and it’s not made of metal or something.”

Jughead glared at her. “That’s the price for seller, and fifteen percent is what you will make. Take it or leave it.”

Most people were scared of the young war veteran, with his left arm and leg of cybernetic parts as well as the rings glowing around his neck. No one knew how he had survived, but tales spoke about the King of the Sirteans ordering to keep him alive after picking him up during the end of the Silver Wars – he laid half a body among a sea of dead. Fred Andrews was a compassionate ruler indeed, but he was also a fierce protector of Terridine, which was why the people vouched for him. That closeness to the Andrews might have been why Jughead dared to go against the rules as well.

“You know I’m the best seller you’ll get. I can even sell those for twenty percent more.” She pointed to the crates with YK-L7 laser cannons, too powerful for the common user but very likely to be bought by smaller planets with idiots for rulers – they always bought weaponry in case they were attacked, but they were so insignificant to even count.

“It’s final, Lodge.” Jughead shouted at his goons, better known as the Serpents, who were moving boxes around, making too much noise and a poor job. He then leaned closer to Veronica. “You might be the Nightfall of Malina, but not mine.”

“Shut the fuck up,” she hissed through gritted teeth. “Just give me four crates, I’ll comeback in a moon-month with your money.”

If the stories followed Jughead Jones from Arawath wherever he went, then so did the stories about Veronica Lodge from Malina, but the difference was no one dared to speak about them in her presence. They whispered and kept the rumors to themselves, and it was better that way. Not many made the connection between her and the story of the Nightfall of Malina, anyway.

Jughead outstretched his right hand and waited for Veronica to shake it. Once she did, he called for his Serpents to load the Diamond Dove. “Four crates for Lodge, Sweet Pea and Fangs.” And then he moved away to speak to a petite purple-haired woman who sat in the back. She was probably a girlfriend or something, not that it was any of Veronica’s business – some got turned on by cyborgs, but she liked her partners made of flesh. “I expect my money soon, Veronica. Don’t even think of leave me hanging or change the deal.”

“I won’t.” She was a smuggler, and that meant she wasn’t stupid. You couldn’t allow yourself that in this dangerous business.

While her ship was being loaded, Veronica used the little time to do some shopping. Fresh food was one of the most valued things in the system, and why Terridine had flourished. Fruits were sweet and bright colored, so she liked to take a few things with her from time to time. Also, she picked two bars of lavender soap and small bottle of perfume – the last of her kerds spent in luxury, but she thought it was worth it.

She returned to the Diamond Dove and asked Smithers to check the systems and give her a report of the ship’s status. Everything was okay and ready for takeoff. She had a buyer in mind, but that was twenty-five parsecs away in the Nurg System, and she wasn’t in conditions to spend her fuel in the deuterium transporter, nor was she so desperate. She had a moon-month to return, so she wasn’t in a hurry.

Sitting behind the controls, Veronica decided to drive manually for a while, to ease her tension. It was soothing to handle the control panel, to see the numbers and map in the screen. And she enjoyed the solitude and the sight of space.

“Miss Veronica?” Smithers interrupted just as she went past an asteroid. “I’ve detected noise and movement in the cargo area.”

“What?” she scowled and pressed on the buttons to set autopilot. “Check again, Smithers. Have any unauthorized people boarded the ship?”

“No records of it, Miss Veronica. But again, there’s noise and it seems to be getting louder.”

“Shit,” Veronica mumbled as she grabbed her two laser guns and slipped her leather jacket on. “Lock the control room until further notice.”

“Will do, Miss.”

She took a deep breath, and the pulled the safety lock of the guns off. Moving towards the cargo area, she pressed the button to open the heavy doors. She walked inside and realized there were five crated instead of the four she had asked. Scowling, Veronica lifted her guns. Jughead Jones wasn’t known for his generosity, so this meant trouble.

One of the boxes let out a whine, and then a barking sound followed.

She approached it carefully. Hitting the corner buttons to unlock the crate, she soon yelped in surprise when a yellow beast pushed the lid open with its head. Damn it! A cyberdog. This couldn’t be. That was legacy technology from Terridine – basically an expensive vintage piece of biotechnology that was illegal to transport outside the Verdaleir system. You needed a permit for one of those. And she didn’t want trouble, it didn’t matter if that trouble was a cute guardian cyberdog.

Besides, the dog wasn’t interested in her, as it proved when it approached another crate, sniffing at it and whining in her direction.

“What the hell? No. Tell me Jughead fucking Jones did not fill my ship with cyberdogs. This is a setup. The bastard!” Veronica tucked her guns in the back of her belt as she proceeded to open the new crate, but this time there was no beast inside.

She jumped back, and pulled her guns to aim them at the man in front of her. His arms were already up, empty. He looked more frightened than herself. But she would never trust a man much larger than herself in lorav gear – that material was too expensive, only used by royal guards’ uniforms. He had the build of a strong guard too. Or maybe an outlaw. But then his bright red hair and his current facial expression didn’t match the one of a threat.

“Who the fuck are you?” she shouted.

“I’m– I’m–“ he babbled.

“Speak or I shoot you.” And she would do it, no matter how good he looked. She valued her life and ship much more than someone to rumple the sheets with.

“No! Please, don’t. I’m Archimedes Andrews, from Terridine.”

Veronica’s eyes widened. “No, you aren’t,” she muttered, but then he tried to move. “Don’t move!”

“Sorry, sorry!” He lifted his hands higher. “I’m sure you know I can prove it with–“

“A tattoo on your chest. Yes, I know. Royal Sirtean mark.” She tucked one gun away, but kept the other firmly in hand. “Get out of the crate and let me check it. But you move too fast, and I shoot your ass.”

He got out slowly, the cyberdog following his every move – it was clear the man was its master. Once out of the box, Veronica approached him and slid the front zipper of his jacket, pulling at the left side to uncover the Sirtean royal tattoo. She rubbed it with her thumb, hoping it would come off, but it didn’t.

“Damn it!” Veronica cursed under her breath. “Do the rest of these crates have guns?”

Archimedes, as it was now confirmed he was, shook his head. “Just one. The others have food, and some supplies.”

“How am I supposed to make kerds? I need them to pay for things! Do you know about that, little prince? How your subjects live?” She put the other gun away, and with arms akimbo, she glared at him.

“I’ll pay you. Much more than what you would’ve made with the guns. It’s just that Jughead thought you wouldn’t have agreed to smuggle me out of Terridine, had you known who I was.”

“Damn right, I wouldn’t. You’re a prince! I could be charged with kidnapping. I would not be banished, but killed for treason!”

“I won’t let that happen to you,” he promised softly, finally letting his arms down. “I just need your help–“

“Veronica. And how am I supposed to call you, your royal highness?” she was irate. She hated being played, much more by Jughead Jones, considering there was no way she could go back now and confront him.

“Archie. Just Archie. And this is Vegas.” He pointed at the cyberdog, which barked at her as a greeting. “I just need you to take me to Fari, in Gratian. It’s all I’m asking for, and maybe live normally for once.” His dejected tone almost made her feel pity for him. _Almost_.

“Priestesses’ land? Do you know Fari is forbidden land for royals?” She swallowed hard and avoided his gaze. “Ever since the destruction of Malina… Royals don’t dare to know their fate.”

“The Nightfall of Malina, I know. But I can’t marry Betty, and she doesn’t want to marry me. I need proof that it’s a bad decision. I cannot let them ruin our lives.” He looked desperate, and she knew the feeling. More so, she had lived on her own for so long, she was aware of how hard it was to find the right allies.

“Even if I said yes, it’s a dangerous trip to Gratian.”

“I know. But I’m trained for battle. Vegas is useful, as well.” For the first time, he dared to approach her. He was indeed bigger than her, buffer than Jughead and his cybernetic parts, but he wasn’t hardened by life yet. “Please, Veronica. I need this.”

For a moment, she was tempted to say yes out of sympathy. But then she remembered her life, and who she was. She painted a hard face on, and asked, “How many kerds?”

“Twenty times what Jughead promised,” Archie muttered.

That would be enough for a season at Terridine, living a life at large. Enough to drink ogglep water whenever she wanted, instead of just surviving. But this was a dangerous mission, with delicate cargo. Still, the Diamond Dove was such an unworthy spaceship, maybe they could go unnoticed. It was a gamble, but what was her life if not?

“You follow my rules, Archiekins. So does the dog. And I don’t care who you are, if you don’t, I’ll kick you out.”

For the first time since she had locked eyes with him, his amber eyes seemed to shine. There was a smile on his face.

“I promise. I’ll do whatever you say.” Archie stood there, in all his Sirtean male glory, hard muscles, hot blood and royal features. Veronica chuckled. She wished he could fulfill his promises.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”


	2. Hello, Princess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This SciFi AU is being continued. I'm still having fun, so I only hope you'll have it too.

There was fire everywhere. She could feel the heat on her skin even in the distance. She could see the explosion, the destruction…

Violently, Veronica sat up, gasping for air. She could feel her skin covered in cold sweat. And she tried to calm down, taking deep breaths of the stale air in her quarters. It felt asphyxiating, despite how used to it she was. This particular nightmare wasn’t uncommon. Actually, more often than not, she was woken up by frightening images – memories. It would’ve been great if she had got used to them or over them, but the truth was they still had the same pull on her mind. Panic and helplessness invaded her like the first time.

There was no way she would be able to fall asleep again, much less with her accelerated heartbeat. So, Veronica got up, and dressed in training gear. Exercise would help her release some of that pent-up tension, maybe it’d be good enough for her to be able to get a nap later. She moved across the ship, towards the training room. There was enough equipment to keep her sharp, but they were mostly old and patched-up things. And anyway, she didn’t need much more than the mat.

“Hey.”

The voice, no matter how soft, startled her, so Veronica twisted around in one leg to give the intruder a back kick. To her surprise, the prince of Terridine blocked her with his forearm, to stop her from smacking him on the chest. She smirked as sweat dripped along her hairline, and soon used her own momentum for a reversed roundhouse kick that knocked him over on the mat.

“Hey,” she replied while looking down at him. “Don’t ever sneak up on me again.”

“Sorry,” Archie muttered while sitting up and jumping to his feet much quicker than what it’d take for his bruised ego to be healed. He was in the same clothes in which she had found him, but his jacket was opened. “I was looking for food? Kitchen?” He rubbed the back of his neck, seemingly embarrassed about having basic needs like hunger.

Grabbing an old gray towel that had seen better times, Veronica blew a breath. “Hopefully, the supplies you sneaked in my ship include enough food for you.” She gave him a pointed look, and his cheeks tinted pink. She smirked. “How did you sleep?”

The Diamond Dove wasn’t a small ship. It had been built to transport a crew of five or six comfortably – at least that’s what the sketchy seller from Omia told her when she bought it. But Veronica had never been prepared for guests. And she guessed a simple bed with a thin and hard mattress wasn’t something Archie was used to.

“I didn’t. Not much at least,” he replied forlornly as he watched her wipe the sweat on her face off. “I thought I could eat something or drink some poppy milk to help with that.”

Veronica frowned at him. “You are delusional if you think I have poppy milk. It’s way too expensive – why are you smiling?”

Archie chuckled as he tilted his head to the side, biting his lip. And she would’ve liked to say he didn’t look attractive – maybe she’d been lonely for too long – but he had a nice body, strongly built, and the sharp angles of his face were quite masculine, which she liked. He had a powerful body. There was nothing about his looks she could hate or criticize. And she particularly liked his coppery red hair and golden-brown eyes. A sunny prince, indeed – there was light about him.

“I brought some poppy milk with me. Among other things.”

It only took that for Veronica to swiftly stalk her way to the cargo area, followed closely by Archie and Vegas.

Opening the remaining boxes, they found the ones with Terridine guns and light armament, and closed it again. The other two managed to surprise her, though. Not only there was more than enough food for a moon-month for the two of them, but there was also a smaller crate inside. The wooden box was carved with symbols from the Sirtean mythology, about the Fire Star that would bring luck to their people. It was a master work of Nignita’s artisans and it was filled with luxury items like three small vials of poppy milk, a bottle of ogglep water, and sweets from Omia.

She felt like a child.

“A gift to apologize.” Archie approached her as she still watched the small glass containers, and the silver silk scarf. “I was unsure to give it to you earlier because… you seemed angry at me. I had hoped some sleep would ease your… wrath?”

She smiled while her eyes kept trained on the box’s contents. When had been the last time she had been gifted something?

“If I was angry at you, you’d know, Archiekins,” she replied, lifting her head so her dark eyes could meet his. “I would’ve beaten you and locked you up. But this doesn’t hurt at all.”

As the bandit she was, afraid everyone was out to get her things, she hid the box in her quarters, and then proceeded to show Archie the kitchen area. Despite her initial fear of seeing him struggling with basic skills, she was gladly surprised to see him quite comfortably making some simple gogin – a staple dish for Sirteans, made with dried meat and green vegetables.

“Do you want some?”

“Sure,” Veronica replied meekly, as he set two bowls on the corner table. The surface was lackluster thanks to the little use.

Archie eagerly shove a spoonful on his mouth and sighed through his nose. Veronica merely chewed on a bite of meat, as she studied him.

 “So, how is it that a prince like yourself learned to cook?” the question left her mouth in a haughty tone. Most royals couldn’t wipe their own noses, so she was curious.

Soon there were lines crossing Archie’s forehead, and then he waited to swallow the food in his mouth. “My father, as his father did with him, sent me to be trained with Sirtean soldiers once I turned fifteen sun-months, at the end of the Silver Wars.”

Veronica didn’t reply to that. At that age, she had left home. She was alone in the universe, and he was being trained by a whole planet to become the best king Terridine could have.

“We learn about everything. Food is part of survival.” He chuckled softly, a fond smile on his face. “And Father brought Jughead soon after. It was my duty to show him the Sirtean ways.”

“He didn’t learn them, did he?”

Sirteans were known for being extremely kind, polite and hard-working. They always welcomed foreign people who were persecuted in Terridine. They fought wars to save entire races, like they did during the Silver Wars of Arawath. Archie was meant to be the prime example of his race. The youngest in a long line of men, kings. No Andrews king had fathered a daughter since history knew about them.

Archie chuckled. “He’s from Arawath. The have the rage in their blood.”

“At least he’s not from Malina, right?” she tried to quip as she took another bite of her food.

“Where are you from?” Archie wondered, but Veronica was fortunately saved by Smithers.

The operative system interrupted their meal with a message. “Miss Veronica, there’s an incoming message from Mister Jughead in an unknown location. Do you wish it to be played now or later?”

“Speak of the devil,” Veronica muttered, making Archie smile. “Play it for us, Smithers.”

A blueish holographic image appeared on the middle of the table, right next to their bowls. Jughead looked paler than usual as he spoke.

“I’m assuming by now you’ve find the real cargo you’re transporting. I won’t apologize about tricking you, because you’re getting paid much more than I promised. I will tell you one thing, though. I trust you, Veronica, as much as it pains me to say it. You’re the only one who can take Archie to Gratian.”

“He must’ve choked on that, for sure.” Veronica commented. “Has he ever praised anyone?”

Archie chuckled.

“He’s my best friend. My family,” Jughead’s message continued. “Keep him safe. I’ll meet you in Omia.” There was a noise made by static, and then Smithers announced the message had ended.

“Omia?”

In response, Archie closed his eyes tightly. Leaning his elbows on the table, he rubbed a hand against his forehead. “I told him not to.”

“Not to what?” Veronica knew she wasn’t the best at keeping her emotions under control – she was used to be in control of situations, but not of her reactions. And being in the dark annoyed her.

“Tell Betty.” He heaved a big sigh, and pursed his lips. He was feeling uncomfortable. “I didn’t want her to get involved, but she must’ve found out. She has a way to make Jughead talk more than he should. She must want to go to Gratian, too.”

“What am I? A passenger ship? A space cruise? I won’t smuggle royals across the system!” She smacked her hands against the table and stood up. “I’ll raise my price. One of you is more than enough, but two? It’s suicide! Do you know what would happen if we get caught by space pirates or someone who sees profit in taking you?”

“I know,” Archie said while looking at her, his eyebrows up and his forehead wrinkled, trying to convey innocence. And she guessed he didn’t have to try that hard. He had been in the dark about those plans, as well. “She has more interest in escaping home than just knowing our fates.”

“I thought you said she didn’t want to marry you?” Veronica asked, her left hand falling on her hip, and giving him a curious look. “It seems to me that would be her ticket to get away from Omia.”

He averted his gaze from hers, and soon let out a breath. “She would. But I can’t. She’s my friend. I love her, but not the way a wife should be loved. What a miserable life would be for us!”

“For you,” Veronica replied earnestly.

“Is it selfish of me to want to be happy? It’s all I can ask for. I’d never reject my title, my duties. I ask for one thing.” He kept his tone dejected as he said, “I feel guilty enough to have fled my home.”

Veronica stared at him, biting her tongue not to make a snarky comment, because she also had wished that once – it didn’t work out for the best in the end, but had it been a way around it? She was wandering space alone now, and she preferred it that way. At least, she couldn’t taint anything with her touch.

“Smithers,” Veronica called for the operative system. “Change route to Omia. We need to make a stop in Decipere.”

 

 

Decipere was called the land of dream, but for Veronica it was the city of deceive. Omia’s capital looked modern, clean and beautiful under the light of the binary star Lucet. It was a dream for the wealthiest of people in the Verdaleir system, but also the one place who rejected visitors from many poor planets, much less fortunate, like Arawath. Keep Omia scum-free, they said.

“Come here, Sparky,” Veronica joked, chuckling at Archie’s frown. She rose on tiptoes, her leather boots squeaking as she pushed herself up to cover Archie’s hair with a black cap. “Have you thought of dyeing your hair? You’re a beacon for trouble.”

She stumbled when her hands lifted above his head, and Archie’s hands held her by the waist to keep her upright, but not fast enough to stop her from ending up chest to chest. Her mouth felt drier than the sands of Hadrian, and her belly flipped as if the winds of Bhati had decided to play with it. She really had been alone for too long.

“I think I should,” Archie mumbled, but his eyes were trained in hers before she swiftly pushed him off her, batting his hands away.

“We’ll, uh, look for something in the market.” She grabbed a bag and rummage through it, soon handing him a small card. “You’re a scrapper from Arcadium. And don’t complain because it’s the only card I have left. If Omians find you here, you’ll be back in Terridine in the blink of an eye.”

“Who are you?” Archie asked as he saved the card in the breast pocket of his jacket.

She beamed at him. “Your manager.”

Omians might’ve prided themselves about their self-righteousness, but the truth was their inhabitants loved gambling and illegal fights as much as the ones from the next planet. A few bills would do the trick with the immigration guards.

“And the dog stays in the ship.” Veronica felt sympathy for Vegas when the cyberdog whined. “Sorry, pup. Your task is to keep our ship safe.”

They walked through the market of Decipere, as it was easier to find cover among the throngs of people from different planets. Besides, Veronica guessed Jughead would do the same. He might have been allowed to be in Omia thanks to Fred Andrews, and how he had been basically adopted by the Sirteans, but he wouldn’t be stupid enough to pretend to be one of the rich.

“Look what I found. Duck rind,” Archie said excitedly, offering her fried pieces of some animal’s hide from a paper cone.

“You…” Veronica scowled at him. “We’re not strolling along the market! This isn’t for fun.” And then she grabbed a couple from the cone and stuffed them in her mouth. “These are good.”

He chuckled, as they kept walking, munching on their treat.

As they turned around the corner on a stand with fluorescent-colored cabbages from Qwite, Veronica spotted a woman with purple hair. She remembered her from Nignita, the one who had been speaking to Jughead and looked to be at least fond of the cyborg.

“Hey, cyborg lover,” Veronica spewed without a second-thought, earning herself a sneer from the woman.

“My name is Toni,” the petite woman replied, clearly unimpressed by Veronica’s tone. But she snorted a laugh as soon as Veronica grinned.

“See? I didn’t know that. It makes it so much easier.” She then threw a look at Archie. “I guess you know who this is.”

“I know, which is why I’m supposed to lead you somewhere safer.” Toni looked around them, making sure there was no threat near-by, but Veronica had already done her best to check they weren’t being followed. “Let’s go.”

Toni led them through the narrow streets of Decipere’s commercial district. It was all clean white, and beige colors, with a few accents of golden metal – Veronica hated how boring it was. They finally arrived to a place with small windows. They walked around it, and used a side door to enter the building. They climbed a few flights of stairs before Veronica saw Jughead and two of his goons pacing around the room.

“Jug?” Archie smiled brightly before Jughead turned around, taking long strides to wrap his arms tightly around the prince of Terridine – they were brothers, even if they didn’t share the same blood.

Jughead cradled Archie’s face, checking he was unharmed for a second and then slapped his face lovingly yet forcefully. Archie laughed, delighted to finally have a friend in front of him. It was easy to assume he had been lonely, even if everyone loved and knew him. His condition as royal was cruel that way.

“I’m so glad Veronica hasn’t kicked your ass, yet.”

Veronica rolled her eyes. “You could’ve told me the truth, bucket head.”

“You would’ve never said yes.”

Shrugging a shoulder, Veronica approached him. “Maybe, but we’ll never know now.”

“Yeah, well, now I only ask for you not to harm him, but more importantly, don’t sleep with him,” Jughead said with a confident smirk on his lips, before Veronica almost tackled him.

“Who do you think I am? I’m going to beat your shiny ass, you dickless robot,” Veronica growled as an amused Toni held her back.

“She’s been a perfect hostess, Jug,” Archie babbled, but his cheeks soon turned into a pinkish hue. He was used to a crass language among soldiers, but he wasn’t accustomed to talk about women and slipping into bed with them. He was a promised prince – he owed his fidelity to his betrothed.

“Good, now all we have to do is wait for Betty. She’ll be here before sunrise, so we’ll spend the night here, and you can take off with her in the morning. The shift at the immigration post changes right after sunrise, so it’d be easier for us to sneak out.” Jughead moved back, to check outside through one of the windows.

The room had only a small table with four chairs, and mats and pillows along the back wall, away from the windows. There was a bathroom in the back and a small eating area, but everything seemed too modest for a place in Decipere – it was a hideout.

Claiming one mat for herself, Veronica sat down and tug her heavy boots off. She wasn’t in the mood to keep fighting Jughead. She had to plan their exit way, so no one could follow them to Gratian after they left.

Archie sat next to her, glancing at her, but not saying a word as he rested his arms on his folded knees. Somehow, he looked bigger in his undershirt than with his jacket. His tattoo of Sirtean soldier was bold on his shoulder, black inky lines down the contours of his bicep.

Jughead had sent his serpents, Sweet Pea and Fangs, to get some food, and Toni sat at the table talking in hushed voices with Jughead. They also had to flee as soon as the princess of Omia arrived.

“Do you want me to dye your hair now?” Veronica asked Archie. She would lose her mind if she stayed idle.

He smiled at her. “Sure.”

It was calming to follow the motions of applying the dark color on his hair. They barely spoke, and Veronica felt better with her hands busy. It helped her to focus on the ideas of her plan, on what she would have to do, and how would she stand to be surrounded by royals in her ship. At least Archie didn’t behave like a spoilt brat, but what about Elizabeth? Omians were already terrible usually, royalty could only be worse.

“Lean back,” Veronica muttered, as it was time to wash Archie’s hair. Her fingers softly massaged his scalp to rinse it. It made her smile how he sighed and let himself be pampered. “I’ll actually miss your stupid hair,” she told him as she toweled the excess of water off, and allowed him to look at himself in the mirror.

“I’ll miss it, too,” Archie replied, touching some strands with his right hand. “Thank you, though.”

“It’s nothing.”

“You have great hands,” he commented casually.

And she didn’t know why, but the innocent praise made her face burn with embarrassment. Veronica turned around quickly, happy when she heard food had arrived, and she could ignore him.

 

 

_“You need to leave, my sweet dove,” the soft voice of a woman, with long luscious hair, said._

_“No, mommy!” Veronica heard herself saying, as she stared into the warm orbs of her mother. She was pushed into a small shuttle, and saw the door closing. The beautiful face of her mother was her last memory before leaving home._

There was a hand on her shoulder, and Veronica jumped. Her eyes opened wide, but she couldn’t see the face of Archie hovering above her.

“Veronica? Are you okay?” he whispered, but soon one of her legs hooked around him and she rolled them over. She was straddling him, had him flat on the cold ground, and was ready to punch him with all her might, but fortunately he caught her fist on time. “Veronica!” he hissed, and grabbed her other hand before she could try anything else.

She blinked at him a couple of times, before she assimilated what was going on. “Archie?”

“You were whimpering in your sleep,” he explained. “I tried to wake you, but…”

Looking around the room, Veronica realized the only other person awake in the room was Toni, who looked at them with curiosity and concern. She must’ve heard her, too.

This was why she hated to sleep away from the ship.

“I’m fine,” she mumbled, moving off him. In reality, she wanted to take off and be alone, but the circumstances made impossible.

“You were just–“

“I said I’m fine!” Veronica muttered angrily. Luckily for her, he didn’t push it any further. She wasn’t ready to tell anyone about the nightmares, and no one had asked so far. It was her private world, and she wasn’t about to share it with a stranger.

Returning to her mat, Veronica didn’t lay back to resume her sleep, and instead placed her back against the wall, crossing her legs. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Archie taking his place in his mat, the one next to hers. She felt his gaze on her, but decided against making eye contact. That man could be a lot of trouble if she allowed it, too sweet and polite in an unforgiven universe.

It would soon be sunrise, so she wouldn’t have to be awake in the dark for long. But to let Archie sleep, Veronica stood up and sat next Toni. The purple-haired woman was on watch, the last one of the night.

“I’m not going to ask a thing,” Toni muttered as she continued her game of solitaire. “But Archimedes won’t let it go. He might’ve done it now, but he’ll ask again.”

Veronica shrugged one shoulder. “We won’t be seeing each other for long.”

“I thought the same about Jughead, and look at me now.” Toni smirked, both women looking through the window, into the starry night of Omia.

“Never thought a woman like you could set eyes on a cyborg.”

Toni snorted a laugh. “It was once. The night we met. And as soon as he woke up, I realized he was grouchy asshole, so we decided to be friends. I’m a tinkerer, so he keeps me around for everyone’s benefit.”

“I feel for you, sweets,” Veronica quipped, both of them chuckling. “But Archie is a prince, and he has to come back to Terridine to fulfill his role. While I’m a smuggler who likes resell trinkets as a hobby.”

Toni sighed. “My mother was from Malina, Princess.”

Veronica felt cold electricity running up her back. She had been so young, it seemed like another life. It wasn’t hers. The memories were stolen from another woman, and yet so very hers.

“You’re wrong,” Veronica mumbled. “You’ve mistaken me.”

“Have I?” Toni whispered as quietly as her voice allowed. “You might not have a planet anymore, but there are a few of us Galians left. You could claim your title, and we’d support you.”

A small communicator on the table beeped, and a message displayed on it. The sound awoke Jughead and the rest of the men. The holographic video showed a small man with glasses who said, “We’re on our way. Be ready.”

They started to collect things, picking them up, and sharing a few words before Betty’s arrival. Moments later, Fangs climbed up the stairs followed by the small man from the video and a woman with a hooded jacket. As soon as her eyes met Jughead and Archie, the woman pushed the hood back, showing her pale blonde hair. Her skin was flawless like porcelain, and her eyes bright green. She wore light pastel colors, and looked every bit the princess she was.

“Archie, Juggie,” Betty muttered before wrapping both boys in a hug. The three of them embracing each other. “I’ve missed you.”

A pang of longing hit Veronica, who decided to look away.

“We need to go,” Toni interrupted.

“We– we were followed,” the small man accompanying Betty said. “We managed to lose them, but they will surely find their way here.”

“Dilton,” Jughead grumbled. “It was the one thing you needed to do right.”

“Do not put the blame on him!” Betty warned. “It was a risky job, he did the best he could.”

Veronica almost snorted a laugh at the way Jughead recoiled under the commanding voice of Omia’s princess. And then realized, Jughead wasn’t scared of her – he was enamored. There was a soft way about his interactions with her, about how he held her hand gently with his cybernetic one.

“Sorry to interrupt your date, _Juggie_ , but we need to skedaddle if we want to make it out alive,” Veronica mocked him, but right as she said it, they heard the first laser shot.

“They’re here!” Sweet Pea shouted, and everyone grabbed their weapons.

They couldn’t stay in the building, or they would be surrounded quickly. So, they dashed out through the side door. As soon as they made it to the street, three guards saw them. Veronica shot first, followed by Jughead and Fangs. Toni and Sweet Pea were trying to cover for Betty and Dilton. Archie shot a fourth guard who was rounding the corner.

“We need to split up,” Jughead said. “Veronica, go with Toni. Archie and Betty will come with me. Fangs and Sweet Pea, take Dilton. We’ll meet in the ship yard.”

And they did, they ran and shot some, but mostly just avoided guards through the streets and alleys of Decipere. Veronica was sure she could make it quickly to the Diamond Dove, but she only hoped Archie could remember the way as well as she did.

It turned out she didn’t need to worry, because he soon arrived with Betty and Jughead on tow. The problem came when through the communicator, Fangs told them they had arrived to their ship, but had to take off since the guards hadn’t relented. The Serpents had fled the scene, leaving behind their so-called leader.

“Shit!” Veronica exclaimed, clearly startling Betty with such foul language. And to add to it, she continued, “Fuck you, Jughead Jones. Now not only I have to carry royalty, but also you, damn bucket head.”

Toni laughed, but it was cut short when sounds of laser guns interrupted them.

“Everyone, get inside!” Veronica shouted. “And you better know how to use the weapon system of the ship.”

“Aye, aye, captain,” Toni replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Veronica's secrets are unraveling! What do you think?


	3. Isn't it cute?

They barely managed to take off from Omia as the Royal Guard shot at them. Veronica drove the Diamond Dove manually to be able to dodge as many shots as possible, and Toni got behind the weapons system. Luckily for everyone on board, the two women understood each other quickly and were able to work fast on their escape route while defending themselves.

“Ooh, a neutron plasma cannon,” Toni gushed as she pressed on the buttons of the console in front of her. “Fancy.” She shot said weapon, making Veronica smile as they left behind a burning immigration post, the explosion purple as the flames quickly rose up to the sky.

“Cost me an arm and a leg.” Veronica smirked. “No pun intended, Jughead.”

Toni laughed, turning on her seat to see Jughead rolling his eyes.

It might’ve been funny then, but just moments later the scenario was completely different.

They were just about to leave Omia’s atmosphere when they were hit. The ship rattled and everyone on board felt the impact. But they still had to leave the gravitational pull of the planet before they could do anything. Veronica waited right until they were in safe distance, and before snapping to tell Princess Betty to shut up with the hysteric questions if they were okay and if they were going to _make it_.

“Smithers, do a complete check-up of the ship. Report any damage.” Veronica set the course of the ship to Gratian, before leaving her position as pilot. Betty was still babbling nervously as Archie and Jughead tried to soothe her. “Look, the whining is not going to help, princess. So, stop it.”

“Veronica,” Archie softly scolded her, but it only elicited an eye-roll for Veronica. “She’s not used to this.”

“Oh, and who were the ones who wanted to leave their home planets for adventures? Well, this is what adventures are all about. Not as glamorous as they make them look like.” With that, Veronica moved away before Smithers could speak again.

“Miss Veronica, the deuterium transporter has suffered significant damage and it is in risk of exploding if used. The cargo area has been hit but it won’t affect the ship’s systems.”

“Shit!” Veronica muttered under her breath. If the transporter wasn’t working, there was no chance of them making it to Gratian – the distance was too much for them to go on normal speed.

“I can fix it,” Toni told her, she leaned against the wall, right in front of Veronica. The two women stared at each other before they slid down the walls and sat on the floor of the hall that led to the sleeping quarters. “But not while we’re on route. The reactor is too unstable while in movement.”

“You mean we need to park this big ass ship in whatever planet is near, with two fucking royals in it?”

Toni smirked, but nodded.

“Just my luck,” Veronica mumbled, leaning her head back against the wall.

True, until very recently her life had been quite lonely in the ship, travelling through space for months at the time. But right then, she didn’t know if that was such a bad thing compared to all the trouble she was going through.

She felt a weight falling gently on her thigh. It was Vegas, who laid next to her and gave her puppy dog eyes that made her smile. Damn cyberdog and its cuteness.

“Smithers, list the planets in proximity. We need to make a pit stop to fix the ship.”

“Closest planet in route…” Smithers paused for a moment. “Zero point six parsecs. Eritiem. Do you confirm change of route, Miss Veronica?”

Eritiem, red planet of twins. Some said they were inbreeds, and that explained the strange pattern in which all of the royal family had the same red hair and alabaster skin. The truth might have been quite different, because like all royals, secrets were more precious than all of their possessions. And yes, the Blossoms might have been even richer than the people from Omia, but they were infinitely less friendly. That brought an uneasy feeling to Veronica’s stomach.

“We don’t have much of a choice here,” Toni offered.

Heaving a big sigh, Veronica just said, “Set course to Eritiem. Find a spot to land far enough from Duois to go unnoticed but not too far if we need to go into the city.”

“Understood,” Smithers replied.

“We cannot go to Eritiem,” a soft voice interrupted Veronica’s mindless toying with Vegas soft ears. The cyberdog let out a soft whiny sound when the owner of the Diamond Dove stopped. Looking up, she saw Betty in all of her white and pastel pink glory standing next to her. “My sister is there. She’s being courted by the Blossoms’ heir. If she finds out I’m there–“

“Well, it’s either this or dying, basically. The ship might explode or we could drift away until we die of old age or starve to death, none of which I find very appealing ways to die, princess.” Veronica stood up. “I know it’s hard to adapt after the life you’ve had, but you’ll have to do it fast.”

“What would you know?” Betty muttered with some venom, that made Toni snort a laugh.

“Nothing,” Veronica said in a sarcastic tone. “Nothing at all, but do not worry. I’m sure the boys will be happy to look out for you.” Walking past Betty, Veronica decided it was time for a nap in the perfect solitude of her room. Her energy was depleting fast around so many strangers and she was sure there would be more than enough shenanigans to endure in no time.

“May I speak to you?” Archie asked as he suddenly stepped in her way to her quarters.

“You’re speaking and it’s directed to me, so I don’t think you need my permission.”

“I mean, privately,” he muttered awkwardly, falling into step with her. He rubbed the back of his neck with a hand.

“Privately? Now? We’re in a ship with three other people. I don’t think there’s much privacy to share.” She was annoyed, and he knew it. It wasn’t only all the strangers, the stress of fighting and escaping, or even her damaged ship. Also, she hadn’t slept well and she was growing frustrated by Betty and her moral superiority.

“I’m sorry, Veronica. I know this isn’t what I asked from you, but Betty… she’s my friend. Right now, she’s worried and stressed like all of us. If you could give her a chance, please.”

They reached the door of her chambers, and Veronica turned around to face him. “This only proves me who you are, as a friend. But I’m not giving her a chance because of what you said. I’m guessing there must be something you see in her that makes you care for her.”

The little crooked smile on his face almost made her smile herself, but she instead pursed her lips and pressed her hand in the biolock of her door to open it.

“May I–“ Archie was about to step in, but Veronica kept him out and only let Vegas in.

“I’m taking a nap. And the pup deserves a break from your craziness. He’s the only one I like.” She heard him snort a laugh as the door shut in front of him, finally allowing herself to break into a full smile.

Vegas had already found a spot next to the purple ogglep flower that glowed softly in the dark.

 

 

There was no sense of time in space, no day or night. Veronica liked that about traveling across the system in her ship, that sense of freedom in no-man’s land. Out there, she had anonymity, and could hide herself from everyone. She was not the Nightfall of Malina when she was alone, when she was just Veronica, owner of the Diamond Dove. So, she enjoyed sitting in the before the control console, looking into the beautiful and colorful emptiness of space, while the rest of the passengers were seemingly asleep.

“Is it true you travel alone?”

Veronica heaved a sigh. She knew whose voice was, but the tone was completely different, and as she had promised Archie, she would try to be a more understanding person to Betty.

“It is,” Veronica replied, and she turned on the chair to motion to the co-pilot position. Betty didn’t hesitate and sat down. It was the first time they were alone face to face.

“It’s time for me to apologize to you,” Betty starts, her posture as regal as the daughter of kings and queens, as the good bride she’d been groomed to be. “I shouldn’t have questioned your decision, since you’re the owner and pilot of this spaceship. You should know what’s best to keep us safe.”

“True. I’m glad you realized that.” Veronica wasn’t looking at Betty when she smiled. There was a star in a yellowish hue blinking away very far away, like an old gem in a velvet blanket. “I do make mistakes, though. Plenty of them. So, hopefully I made one when I thought you were a bratty bitch from Omia.” She laughed when she heard as Betty guffawed shortly before she covered her mouth with her hand.

“Is it an excuse that I was raised to be one? A perfect little princess that one day would marry a prince, and birth royals, raise them…” Betty blew a breath as if she had been holding it for way too long. “Who said I wanted that for myself? I don’t have a choice. Never had one.”

“There are things you cannot control, but even the smallest decisions can change everything that will come in the future.” Then Veronica turned to look at Betty, with her hair loose from the tight bun in which it had been earlier. “I chose to pick some crates with weapons to sell, and I ended up with a prince and his friends on board.”

Betty smiled softly. “I must confess I’m jealous. Envious of you.”

“Me? Why?”

Betty blushed, as she pushed her hair behind her ears. “You’ve got freedom to go around the Verdaleir as you please, to know places in which I’ll never be. And because you’re… _you_. Tough, smart, independent, and beautiful.” She sighed, and it was her moment to get lost in the sight of space. “It’s all he could ever want in a partner.”

“Archie?” Veronica muttered, a little curious about Betty’s ramble, particularly the last part.

But then, Betty smiled softly. “Archie? No. Juggie. When he first told me about you, he talked about stories of your travels, of your bravery. It’s obvious he must like you.”

Veronica cackled. “I’m so sorry, dear B, but no! You couldn’t be more wrong! At most, we like picking on each other, because it’s funny. We are – and if you say this to anyone, I’ll deny it – friends. Jughead is the one guy who doesn’t think I’m fickle or stupid for choosing this life.”

It amused Veronica to see Betty frowning, as if she couldn’t comprehend why would anyone _not_ like Jughead. And it was then when she understood that as much as Jughead had a crush on the princess, Betty adored the cyborg as well. But it wasn’t Veronica’s place to judge them, or question their feelings. But it was apparently Betty’s to have inquiries about hers.

“Do you like Archie?”

“What? No!” Her tone was defensive, a little sharp and too quick of an answer. “He’s hot. That’s it.” She wanted more than anything to have something to busy herself with, to hide the annoying heat she felt rising up her face. “I can appreciate that. You can too, I guess. He’s your betrothed.”

“He’s my best friend. I did like him, of course,” Betty confessed, but she got this wistful look on her face. “He’s my favorite person, and I think I once confused that with love. But I know he’d do anything to save me, and I’m afraid he’ll get trapped into this plan of marriage. We don’t want it, but he’d do it if it means taking me away from my parents.” Betty’s green eyes filled with unshed tears she tried to blink away unsuccessfully, so she dabbed at them with her fingers.

“You’re in love with Jughead?”

Betty didn’t say it, maybe scared of putting into words her most inner feelings. Afraid someone would take them from her, and destroy them. “It’s impossible. Not only is he not royalty, but Omia doesn’t allow cyborgs to mix with humans. They are thought of as lesser beings.”

“That’s stupid,” Veronica spitted out, truly convinced of such thing. “They become pariahs but I know it’s not forbidden. Terridine has allowed it.”

“You think I’d be allowed to renounce my title? My mother…” Betty swallowed thickly. “We wouldn’t find peace. Even if Fred would protect us – it’d be reason enough to declare war.”

It was only then that Veronica felt sympathy for Betty. She had the same feeling of helplessness, even if for much different reasons. They couldn’t escape their fates, and it felt like a threatening shadow hovering above them. If they could get undeniable proof of their union being inauspicious, it would end the engagement. But Veronica was scared she would also get news about her future – and even worse, her past. They would only know the truth once they arrived to Fari in Gratian.

 

 

The Diamond Dove landed in Eritiem in invisible mode, which if discovered, would cost them prison time or worse since the Blossoms were known for their unwavering sense of justice. Justice that only favored them. And not only that, but they would take great joy in finding two royal runaways of such prominent families.

It was winter in Douis, and the ground was covered in a blanket of white snowflakes. The snow was deep and beautiful, but that made things more dangerous. Everyone stuck out like a sore thumb in the white. Fortunately, Betty lent Toni a white cape that would serve the woman as a disguise while she worked on the deuterium transporter outside.

“I’ll be on the lookout,” Jughead provided as he walked down the ramp of the ship to join Toni. He had no weapons on him, but Veronica knew quite well his cybernetic arm was enough protection for a one-on-one battle. He had the advantage.

Betty was finally sleeping after a long night of worries, and a vial of poppy milk Veronica graciously shared. After all, it was understandable why she was having a hard time calming down, much more knowing her sister was in this planet.

It was a solemn time. They were worried and on alert, and Veronica hated it. And she wasn’t alone, because Archie seemed to feel restless by the way he bounced his knee. It was annoying, and even Vegas picked up on it.

“Shouldn’t we do something?” Archie finally asked, leaning forward as if he was ready to jump to his feet if she gave him the sign.

“And what? Put ourselves at risk of being caught? No, Archie. We should stay here and hope Toni fixes the ship quickly.” Veronica paced around the side of the ship, near the ramp. “Maybe I should check the cargo area, or do something. I hate waiting.”

“Do you want to play cards?”

Veronica shot a peeved look, that made him smirk. He was toying with her.

“Hey, look. A hare,” he pointed out to the small brown animal with long ears sitting at the end of the ramp. Its nose sniffed the air, and it looked right at them. “I used to chase them when I was a kid, me and Vegas.”

It was right then when the cyberdog barked loudly at the hare. Once. Twice. And then a growl. They felt it before they could react. The hare was scared away, jumping quickly over the snow, barely leaving a trace in its haste to escape. Vegas followed as fast as he could.

“Vegas, stop!” Archie shouted, but his companion was already far from them. He and Veronica stood at the end of the ramp and only saw a blur of brown and pale yellow in the distance. “Shit!” Archie cursed, and under any other circumstance, it would’ve made Veronica giggle.

She sighed instead. “Well, now we have something to do. We better find the pup or we’re as good as dead, Archiekins.”

As Veronica retrieved her laser guns to hook them on the back of her belt, and then slipped a jacket on, Archie picked his weapons from the cargo area. His choice was interesting, a laser gun for long distance, but he had also strapped a dirk to his thigh. Not many soldiers knew how to fight with knives in a hand-to-hand combat, as they usually trusted their guns, even if they were too dangerous in close distance.

To say Jughead was upset about Vegas’ little adventure was a euphemism. But he had no alternative but to let them go in search of the cyberdog, who’d be too big of a clue of their presence in Eritiem. No one but a Terridine royal could have such an exclusive companion.

The flawless snow crunched under their feet. It had been too long since Veronica had set foot in such cruel winter, but it was part of the Douis weather. The last time she had enjoyed it was years before, during a fair when she smuggled expensive ingredients for a chef. Warm pastries, and sweet and spicy beverages had been comforting, especially in front of a fire – she had certainly enjoyed the hot night in the arms of one of the royal guards, as well.

She glanced at Archie, his strong legs were able to walk much faster in the snow. She would’ve been lying to herself if she couldn’t admit he looked tempting all wrapped up in leather and lorav gear, moving gracefully even through the heavy snow, knife tied to his leg and rosy cheeks thanks to the cold. Yet, those words wouldn’t leave her mouth.

There was a trail that led them to Vegas, and it was almost too funny to see the cyberdog only sniffing the hare. Vegas was just being playful, but it could’ve meant something terrible if they hadn’t found him fast enough. Yet, the danger wasn’t over.

“Vegas, come on,” Archie called, finally being heard. Vegas approached them, too happy to find his human, his tail hitting the snow from side to side. “Time to go.”

“Bad pup,” Veronica scolded, and to her it was funny to see the hint of disappointment in Vegas’ face. “You don’t get to do that again. Now, to the ship.”

But before they could make the way back, they heard shots. Not laser guns, but projectiles, bullets.

“What the hell?” Archie muttered, but soon Veronica shoved him behind a cypress. Fortunately, Vegas’ sense of self-preservation was more acute, so the dog followed them without hesitation.

“A hunting party,” Veronica whispered. “The Blossoms like to keep things old school. And hares usually make good target for practice.”

“Are you saying–“

Covering his mouth with one hand, Veronica shut Archie up. Through the leaves and branches, they made out the image of at least ten people moving in their direction, only four of them were dressed in red: the Blossoms. Clifford and Penelope, king and queen, looked as bitter as always. Cheryl, the youngest of the family, seemed ready to shoot whatever crossed her path – though, she didn’t need a hunt for that. Meanwhile, Jason Blossom, heir and adored first-born, seemed just preoccupied to please his blonde companion in lovely pastel lavender, Polly Cooper.

Lifting a rifle, Cheryl shot the hare Vegas had been chasing just minutes before.

“Good shot, Cheryl,” Clifford commented, but the tone gave away that he expected nothing but perfection from his offspring.

Cheryl’s crimson red lips stretched into a smile. “Thank you. Though, I think each year this becomes less of a challenge.”

“You’re almost as good as I was at your age,” Penelope offered, smiling proudly, almost taking joy in making the backhanded compliment to belittle her child.

“Oh, I’m sure that’s impossible, dear mother,” Cheryl retaliated, clearly meaning to tell Penelope that she thought she was better than her mother at any age.

Veronica wanted nothing more than to groan and roll her eyes at such display of disdain. This family was the worst.

One of the guards that followed them were picking up the now dead hare, leaving a trail of blood on the snow. They had more than enough for a feast, as they were carrying at least five more in their hands.

“Time to go home, Father?” Jason asked, offering his arm to Polly, so she could tuck her hand in the crook of his elbow. “Polly is not used to the freezing temperatures, and I would hate for her to get sick because of this silly hunt.”

“Silly?” Cheryl wondered, aghast with her twin brother’s demeanor. “It’s tradition!”

“Cher,” Jason called softly, smiling sweetly. “Wouldn’t you love some spicy cider? We’ll play some games by the fire.” He tried to appease her in a condescending tone, which wouldn’t work on Cheryl had he been anyone else. But JJ was her favorite person in the whole universe.

Still, Cheryl huffed. “Fine.”

Veronica let out the breath she had been holding, slowly as she saw the group depart. They didn’t move immediately, and waited just to make sure the Blossoms were away from them.

A gloved hand curled around her wrist. Archie didn’t say a thing, and only motioned with his head as a sign for them to dart through the trees to get away from that place. They were at great risk to be found, and they needed to be as quiet as possible.

“Go, Vegas, to the ship,” Archie whispered for the dog. Vegas sniffed the air and jumped on the snow, quickly taking the lead of their group. Archie waited for Veronica to stand up and soon they began the trek back.

They had just gone past an old maple tree when they heard a loud horn in the distance. Veronica’s back tensed up. She knew exactly what it meant – a call for the royal guard.

“What?” Archie asked, noticing her uneasiness.

“They saw us.”

“No. We made sure–“ Archie was interrupted by the first shot. A bullet that hit the maple tree next to them. His eyes widened, and he tugged Veronica’s hand to crouch on the snow, making themselves smaller targets. “We can’t stay here. We have nowhere to hide.”

“We have to make a run for it,” Veronica muttered as a new shot was heard. “Make sure to zigzag your way to the ship.” She stood up. “Run, Vegas. To the ship!”

Vegas looked at her, but then did as told, right as Archie and Veronica started to run in different directions, trying their best to make an erratic path through the forest. The naked trees didn’t offer enough cover, so they had to rely on their ability to dodge the best they could.

The horn called now twice, and that meant they were asking for backup. There wasn’t much time left before they were surrounded by guards and ships, even the Blossoms themselves. But the snow didn’t make it easy for Veronica. Her lungs burnt and her legs felt numb even through her clothes. Yet, she kept on running, even as Vegas became a dot in the distance and Archie got further away from her with each stride. The sound of bullets against the trees, of lasers zooming past her, followed her wherever she turned. The cold felt like tiny needles against her cheeks, her eyes dried with the wind and tears tried to moist them but they only served to blur her sight.

When they reached the clearing, they could make the shape of the Diamond Dove in the distance. Toni and Jughead were flailing their arms, until Veronica could make out what Jughead was saying.

“It’s fixed!” The cyborg shouted as loud as he could.

Vegas made it to the ship first, as the shots became more like a rain pouring on them. Archie was too far away, and Veronica could feel her heart thumping against her ribs. Her breath left her mouth in puffs of steam.

“Veronica!” Archie shouted. He was so close to the ship, but he still attempted to make his way back to get her. Fortunately, Jughead grabbed him on time to shove him into the ship before the prince could make a stupid decision. But his eyes were still on her when she felt it. A hit. It was like a pinch on her right side, a burning sting going through the flesh above her right hip. It knocked the air out of her, and she choked on the cold wind. “Ronnie!” She heard Archie’s desperate cry.

“That’s cute,” Veronica mumbled with what was left of her breath. “Archiekins.”

The last thing she remembered was Archie, fighting Toni and Jughead, trying to free himself from their hold. The last thing she felt was the cold snow on her face as she stumbled forward onto the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't yell at me!!!
> 
> Yes, this is a cliffhanger but know next chapter will come from Archie's POV. And I'll fix things... the story doesn't end here. We'll just be staying in Eritiem longer than expected.


	4. According to Plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this isn't a fic that appeals to everyone's taste, but I really enjoy writing it, so for those following it, I hope you enjoy it as well.  
> This time from Archie's POV and a few surprises in between.

There was a buzzing in his ears, one that could be surely blamed on their quick exit from Eritiem’s atmosphere, but the truth is different. Yes, they managed to escape before the soldiers reached the ship thanks to Toni’s skills, but they lost one very important part of this stupid mission.

“I just mean, it’s too dangerous for you to go back there,” Jughead stressed again, but this time it reached Archie’s ears and he could comprehend the words. His blood boiled at the implications.

“We left her behind! We left _Veronica_ down there!” Archie shouted. He wasn’t aware of any other time he had felt such rage coursing through his body. But how could he forget the image of her falling into the snow? She was hurt. And now he could only hope that was all. Hurt and nothing else.

“All I’m saying is–˝ but Jughead didn’t get to finish the sentence by the time Archie grabbed him forcefully by the stupid leather jacket, and shoved him against a wall.

“I swear, Jughead, if you even suggest we do nothing, I’ll throw you out.” The way in which his teeth were gritted, made his voice sound like a hiss. A true threat.

“Archie,” Betty called softly, trying to appease him. She placed a hand gently over his shoulder. “Please,” she prompted again. “This will get us nowhere. We shouldn’t be fighting between us. We are wasting time, when we should be coming up with a plan to rescue her.”

“Betty,” Jughead muttered, feeling as Archie’s grip loosened until he was finally free. “You’re at great risk, and I won’t allow you to take it.”

She squared her shoulders and looked sternly at him. “Well, good thing you don’t need to allow me to take decisions, Juggie, because we’re doing this.” She then turned to Archie, reaching for his hand to take it in hers. “We’re getting her back with us,” she reassured him, squeezing his hand.

“Good,” Toni interrupted. “Because I have a plan to get our cappie back. And I was going to follow it anyway.”

The plan consisted in them returning to Douis, where the Blossom’s home was. Thistle House was a fortress, but Toni guessed that because of the breach, guards would be scattered to cover more terrain. They would have to sneak into the dungeons Betty said the place had in the lower levels – but Jughead disagreed. He claimed Veronica could never be put into those cells by the Blossoms.

“Why?” Archie asked, frowning. The waiting was getting him impatient. It was the one thing that made him vulnerable, according to his trainer. Despite all his skills in battle, his weakness was his thirst for justice, his need to make everything right in the universe. But that also made him better.

“She lived here. With the Blossoms.” Jughead sighed, clearly keeping some things to himself. “They know her. Which is why, she’s probably safe, but kept as a prisoner for her… audacity.”

“Why would the Blossoms take her to live with them?” Betty wondered, not noticing the way Toni looked away, as if she also knew something she wasn’t supposed to tell.

“Not my place to share the story, Betts,” Jughead replied. “Let’s just get our plan in motion. And pay attention to Toni’s instructions. As soon as we get Veronica back, you better get us into space.”

Since Betty was the only one without training or experience in battle, she would be in charge of the getaway once they returned with Veronica. She’d need to learn how to drive the ship, or at least to get them out of the planet and get the thing in autopilot. Archie knew it wouldn’t be hard for Betty to pick it up. She was a smart woman.

“It’s better if we go back down there next sunset, give them time to calm down and ease the security,” Jughead offered Archie, while Betty and Toni were in the cockpit. Since Archie didn’t make any gesture to acknowledge it, Jughead heaved a sigh. “Look, I know it might have looked like I wanted to leave Veronica behind.”

“No, you said it. It was like that,” Archie spat out, glaring at him.

“You don’t understand this, because there’s a lot about her you don’t know, but she can survive this. She’s a tough woman, and she has many more skills than just the obvious.” Jughead turned his head towards Betty’s and Toni’s voices, his eyes turning soft at the sight of the blonde princess.

Archie might’ve looked like he was oblivious to the signs, but he knew Jughead’s true feelings for Betty – no matter how much he tried to disguise them. It was easier to pretend he didn’t know, though. How else could’ve he be engaged to her knowing his other best friend was having his heart broken?

“Would you have left me there? I could survive too,” Archie asked.

Jughead whipped his head around, scowling at Terridine’s prince. “No! You–“

“I’m not different, Jug.” He stood up, and moved down the hall towards his chambers, Vegas in tow. He needed to be alone for a while, to work out around the thoughts in his head. After all, he couldn’t go into fight mode if he was still distracted by his regrets and the guilt of not being able to save Veronica before everything went to hell.

Laying down on the narrow and hard bed, Archie threw an arm over his eyes to fend of the weak artificial light in the room, hoping it would help with the pressure he felt behind his eyes. But maybe it was worse, because he could only imagine what was happening to Veronica right at that moment. It bothered him that Jughead was so sure she would be perfectly fine, because they didn’t know. But most of all, he was upset about missing her. How could he be so fond of her this quickly? And yet, how could he not?

As soon as he stepped out of the box that smuggled him out of Nignita in Terridine, his eyes fell upon this small and explosive woman, aiming at him with a gun. Eyes and hair darker than starless nights yet shinier than the brightest of binary stars, beckoning him into the unknown. Thrilling. His skin prickled at first sight. And then there was the way she carried herself, her jokes, her sharp tongue… she was so different from everything he knew.

He heaved a shuddering sigh. He could still remember the curve of her hips under his hands from the one time he got to touch her. It was frightening how fast she had awakened that thirst for more – he wasn’t supposed to feel so drawn to anyone, much less when he was promised to another. Yet one look, one word, and Veronica elicited a reaction from him.

He needed her back. He needed answers from her and himself. For better or worse, he had to uncover this new side of him, Veronica had found.

 

 

Strapping the dirk to his thigh, and checking his gun again, Archie went through all of Toni’s instructions on how to get to Thistle House from their point of landing.

Everything needed to be fast. There wasn’t time for mistakes if they wished to get Veronica back, and get out of Eritiem before anyone else was hurt or taken prisoner. So, they got ready for landing.

“I’m sorry about yesterday,” Jughead muttered as Toni drove the ship back into the atmosphere. “I’m not used to look out for anyone but my family.”

Archie glanced at his friend. “I know life’s been hard on you, but you’ve won against the odds many times before.” He smirked. “What better than to prove Veronica wrong by showing her this cyborg is a little soft after all.”

Jughead scoffed. “She’s not going to let me live this one out.”

The ETA was just minutes before the sunset. The darkness would be enough to cover for them as they approached the fortress, and from then on, they would have to rely on their skills. They were counting on getting in and out in a short period of time, which meant they would make it out through the darkness as well.

As soon as they landed, Betty wrapped Archie in a hug. “Be careful. Do what you must, but don’t be reckless. I know how you get when want to save someone.” She held his face between her soft pale hands, her green eyes earnestly looking into his. He just nodded back.

“Betts,” Jughead called as he placed a gun in Omia’s princess’ hands. “Aim and shoot if you have to. Don’t over think it.”

She smiled softly at the cyborg, before she lifted a hand to curl it around his neck and pull him to her lips in a soft and chaste kiss. “You get back to me, Jughead Jones. And bring everyone safe and in one piece. Do you hear me? You better hurry.”

Archie almost laughed at the blush on Jughead’s face – Toni just chuckled. Veronica would’ve loved to see this. The teasing would’ve been hilarious.

This was probably the first time they were open about their feelings. They were free now, and that’s what all of them wanted, after all. They shouldn’t have to hide their love, and Archie certainly didn’t want to be in the middle of it, being the cause of his friends’ pain. And he also wanted what they had – that love so powerful they were willing to escape the rules that tied them down.

“Let’s go, boys.” Toni was the one leading them down the ramp and onto land, soon having them running through a forest, as in the distance Betty locked the ship to wait for them.

The snow felt heavy on their feet as they carefully went through the rows of trees, taking turns to cover the others. Even if the dark offered cover for them, it also made it hard to spot the royal guards, even if the donned their crimson red uniform. But fortunately, Jughead saw the first one and aimed at them, shooting without hesitation. They waited for more to approach but apparently, the guard were just paired up, so Archie only shot the other one before they kept their route into Thistle House.

As they neared the fortress, they realized the number of guards was increasing. They only needed to find the one place where more of them were gathered and that would be an entry point. No one said it would be easy, but they had found a way in.

Archie and Jughead just watched as Toni left her weapons in one place, making herself as small as she could and looking as harmless as a bunny. Both men frowned before they saw in horror as she stepped right in front of the guards.

“I seem to be lost,” she announced, lifting both arms, playing coy as she took a few tentative steps towards the group of soldiers. “Would you be so nice to help me find my way to Douis? You look like you know what you’re doing and could find your way in the dark,” she added suggestively, and to Jughead and Archie’s surprise, the guards stopped pointing at her.

“Don’t you know pretty little things like yourself shouldn’t be alone out in the dark?” One of the guards told her in a lascivious tone, that made Archie’s skin crawl.

“Oh, well, see, I’m not alone actually.”

And that was their cue to step in. In a quick reaction, Archie and Jughead started a rampage that didn’t give enough time to the guards to know what was going on. Toni, of course, was soon shooting as well.

“You could’ve told us your plan,” Jughead scolded as they approached the door, taking one of the guards’ hands to open the biolock that protected the entrance.

“It wouldn’t have worked, Jughead,” she said as they stepped in. “You would’ve told me how dangerous and reckless, and Red here would’ve wanted to keep me safe, because he’s a gentleman like that.” She grinned. “Womanly wiles are to be used against these fools.”

Archie smirked. It sounded like something Veronica would wholly agree with.

As soon as they were in, Toni connected a small device to a computer that controlled the security system. She downloaded a map with the distribution of rooms and security points. The place was too big for them to cover it quickly, so they needed to take different paths each.

“Take these,” Toni said as she handed them small rounded-shape buttons. “This will send a signal when we need help or have found Veronica. It’ll lead us back to the one activated.”

“Do I have to remind you to be careful?” Jughead said as he shouldered his shotgun.

“Now you want me to be careful?” Archie quipped. “After running away, having stolen a princess, and getting into a shooting for breaking and entering a castle?”

Jughead smirked. “Okay. Good point. So, all I can say is good luck.”

“See you in a bit,” Toni announced, as she jogged down a corridor, Jughead quickly followed another direction, and Archie was left alone to take the last route available.

With each level, the surroundings got more and more luxuriant. From the first level, that was purely utilitarian, Archie had reached the third level noticing the decorations and the more refined details. According to the map, this level was used for bedrooms and common areas for guests of high level. He had little hope to find Veronica there, despite Jughead’s comments. He just couldn’t imagine why would she be allowed to live like an aristocrat when she was a smuggler, working on illicit business and probably on the run.

Even so, he started to silently walk down the hall, checking doors for some clue as to what they were keeping hidden.

It was all terribly nerve-wracking, the waiting and the fear of getting caught. He just wished Veronica could step in front of him and be done with it. Just see her and take her back with him to the Diamond Dove.

“Archie?” a voice hissed behind him, and he turned around to find an image that left him speechless.

Just like he had been hoping, there was Veronica standing before him. But unlike anything he could’ve imagined, she looked completely different in a long flowy dress made of some violet gauzy fabric. It was tied around her waist and under her breasts, even with the plunging neckline. Her hair fell in gentle waves of onyx over her shoulder, like the dark steel from Callis. And as a finishing touch, there was a silver tiara crowning her head, with one single pearl falling onto her forehead as others lined around the piece of jewelry.

“Ronnie,” he breathed out, but he didn’t get time to say more as she strutted her way to him, grabbing his arm and forcefully tugging him into a room.

As soon as the door closed behind them, she opened her mouth to berate him, but he got his ability to speak back.

“You look stunning.”

He just didn’t expect her to smack him across the chest in retaliation. “Thank you, you stupid boy!” She glared at him. “What are you doing here?”

“Rescuing you? Why are you angry at me? I thought you were hurt! I was worried.” He pauses when he notices she has finally soften from her initial reaction.

“I negotiated my freedom, already. I didn’t need your help. This is what I do. Do you really think this is the first time I get caught? I don’t need anyone.” She turned around, her dress following her as a cloud. “And I’m fine. The shot didn’t hit anything important.”

“That’s good. But you’re wrong if you think I could’ve left you here alone. You saved us. You saved _me_ before. And I–“

“You better shut up now,” she stopped him. “Before you say something you can’t take back.” She stood before him, looking up into his eyes. “I’ve been alone long enough to know what it takes to survive.”

“Sometimes you need more than just surviving,” he muttered.

Veronica took a step closer to him, her body almost touching his but not quite. “Really? Do tell, prince, what do I need?” She placed her index finger in the middle of his chest, and in a low voice asked, “Please share, what could make my life better?”

“You should know better than I do,” Archie mumbled as his head bowed down. Her finger seemed to put pressure on the erratic beat of his heart.

“You think I should just take it?” Veronica whispered as her eyes fell on his lips. Her lashes looked so long, and her half-hooded eyes as tender as he had ever seen them.

“Yes.” He knew he was playing with fire, but he had enough of keeping his desires hidden. Had he ever just thought about himself? A bit of selfishness, something for him to enjoy and not think of repercussions.

His mouth was a breath away from hers, and he let himself melt into her when she finally pressed her lips to his. Archie’s arms quickly wrapped around her, one tight around her waist, the other behind her head to tangle his fingers in her hair. And Veronica hooked an arm under his to claw his shoulder as the other hand found its place at the nape of his neck. Her lips sucked his top lip, and he allowed himself to taste her. His tongue delved into her mouth, gently at first, but following her rhythm soon. A deep rumble originated in the middle of his chest, as she moaned against his lips. He wanted to kiss her all over, to taste her skin, to get to know curves and crevices, to feel her on his skin and to leave her mark on his body because he already knew it was deep inside his soul.

“Ronnie,” Archie whispered hotly, as his lips traveled down her neck. He licked the spot under her ear, and she shuddered in his arms.

“Damn,” she hissed as her hands tugged on his hair. “You better get your hands under my dress.” Her hands found their place on his chest, roaming it over the skintight lorav, and making him feel as if the air was becoming thicker to breathe.

He almost chuckled, ecstatic to have her approval, and more than ready to comply to her every wish.

Archie’s hand itched to untie the bows on the back of Veronica’s dress, when a knock on the door interrupted them.

“Shit!” Veronica hissed under her breath. “Hide,” she grabbed him by the hand and shoved him behind a folding screen, where he was met with Veronica’s usual clothes. “Don’t do anything unless I tell you to.”

“What if–“

“What’s the matter with you?”

“Fine,” he sighed.

And then the doors opened. Archie peeked through the spaces between the panels to see a man in the royal guard uniform, crimson red. He was tall and had a muscular frame. And despite the military look, his dark hair was combed to perfect glossy black. His mouth formed a smirk as his eyes fell on Veronica. It made Archie’s blood boil.

“You look a little… messy,” the guard commented.

Veronica’s tone gave away a little of annoyance, and Archie would’ve liked to think it was because they had been interrupted, but it probably had to do with this guy, as well. “What do you want, Reggie?”

“That’s Captain Mantle, for you,” the guy replied haughtily.

“Oh, is it?” She scoffed. “That’s what you tell to the poor women that fall for your tricks?”

“I came to escort you to the dining room.” A wolfish smile grew on his face. “And don’t forget, you were once part of that very exclusive club.”

If Archie could put a name to that feeling he got in the pit of his stomach once he heard those words, he knew it was jealousy. Something he had never really felt before – maybe once, when his father first brought Jughead to Nignita to live with them, but everything had been set right when they became best friends. And there was no way he could befriend this prick.

“One of the many mistakes I made in this planet. As if I didn’t have enough reasons not to want to come back.” She was combing her hair with her fingers and fixing her dress.

“You know I can offer your status back, Veronica. I’m actually the best chance you’ve got to reclaim what’s yours by birthright.” Reggie approached Veronica, and reached out to grab a piece of her hair, which almost made Archie jump into action. Fortunately, Veronica slapped the hand away before anything happened.

“You wish, Reggie. Even at my current status, you don’t reach the heel of my muddy boots.” She took a few steps away from Reggie, and then her eyes found the folding screen. Archie knew she couldn’t see him, but maybe she was just thinking of him, but why? “And I’m sorry, but I won’t join the Blossoms for dinner.”

Reggie frowned. “You have to. Until you depart with the cargo you are to distribute, you must. No excuses allowed.”

“Yeah, well, that was before I got rescued.” She grinned. “Now I don’t owe anything to the Blossoms, and I don’t have to hear you telling me how great we could’ve been.”

“No one has come–“ and then the alarm went off. Reggie glared at Veronica.

“So sorry, Captain Mantle.” Veronica smiled right before she punched the guy in the face with all her might, knocking him into the ground. She then shook her hand, opening and closing her fingers. “I’m not surprised he’s hard-headed.” She then turned to the screen. “Time to go, Archiekins.”

“Good, I couldn’t stand that guy any longer,” he said as he pressed the button he had been carrying, while Veronica shoved her things in a bag and slung it across her chest. “We need to hurry.”

“Would you be a doll and lend me one of your guns?” Veronica smiled at him.

It was an image he would never forget. To see Veronica in a regal dress, running and shooting guards as they made their exit. In boots, nonetheless – the only piece of clothing she managed to slip on before they left.

“Nice of you to join us,” Jughead greeted as he and Toni fended off some guards, near the door they had used to get into the castle.

“I like your dress,” Toni commented, smiling when Veronica rolled her eyes before shooting one guard.

They were ready to try to make their way out, when a bullet pierced the wall behind them. They saw as Cheryl Blossom aimed at them from a fair distance.

“You better come back, Dear Vee. Business is business,” she warned. “Or the next bullet will find one of your friends.”

Veronica grumbled to herself, but stood up, hands up in the air. “Hey, Cher. I would’ve said goodbye, but I thought you wouldn’t take it well. Now, here’s my proof.”

“You’re my sister, Veronica. Don’t be silly,” Cheryl grinned wickedly. “And as family, you should know better than to trick us.” The young Blossom took a few steps forward, keeping her gun aimed at Veronica. “I don’t like betrayal.”

“Tough luck,” Toni muttered from behind Cheryl, as she used her gun to knock the back of Eritiem’s princess’ head. She was smart enough not to hurt royalty as badly as to cause an intergalactic arrest warrant. “Sorry, hon. You’re cute, but I don’t like your bitchiness.”

 

 

They catapulted themselves into the ship, and this time Archie made sure to grab Veronica’s hand as he hauled her up, to be securely inside the ship as he slammed the button to close the side door, lifting the ramp.

“Betty, get us out of here!” Jughead shouted as he hurried into the cockpit to join her.

As the engines came to life, Toni blew a breath. “I need food and sleep, like a good amount of both to replenish energy.” She closed her eyes, and threw her head back in one seat. She had an uncanny ability to not be bother by the small things, like taking off and crossing the barrier of a gravitational pull.

Veronica let herself plop down on one seat, her fluffy dress almost in tatters after running through the woods and snow, but her tiara still in place. She was still the most beautiful sight in that ship to Archie, and maybe also for Vegas who came trotting to her, making her smile.

“Hey, pup,” she greeted him, scratching the cyberdog behind the ears. “Don’t ever play those tricks on me again, okay? I got lucky this time.”

“Don’t play tricks on me, either,” Archie mumbled, leaning forward, closer to her. “I thought… I saw you falling into the snow, and I thought the worst.”

“I’m alive and well.” Veronica smiled, a little flirtatiously. “You know damn well I’m pretty alive.” That kiss. Yes. He’d never be able to forget how her lips felt, how her mouth tasted, or the little noise she made. It was so much to experience, but so little at the same time.

“About that. Ronnie, I really like you.”

She smiled longingly, looking at him, but seemingly lost in thought. “You barely know me, Archiekins. You like what you’ve seen, but the truth is this is only the surface of who I really am.”

“I agree. You should let me get to know you.” He reached for her hand, soft but with small bruises and cuts on her knuckles. He kissed it.

The expression on her face seemed to want to refuse his plea, but fortunately she didn’t get to say it aloud, because Betty interrupted them with a cheerful shout.

“We made it! We’re safe!” She popped out of the cockpit and looked at Veronica. “Nice dress.” But then her eyes zeroed in on the tiara, and her smile turned into confusion. “Isn’t that Malina’s Morning Star? Why do you have Malina’s princess’ diadem?”


	5. The Nightfall of Malina

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're in the middle of the first Varchie Ficathon, but I couldn't leave this story without an update in such a long time. Having said that, if you haven't read yet, take the time to check the new stories for our favorite RD ship that have been posted since April 1st (they belong to the collection #1 varchidale ficathon). I promise you'll have a great time, and stay tuned for the stories to come.

It was her fifteenth birthday, a wonderful day to be celebrated in Yfel, the capital of Malina. The planning had taken many moon-months to prepare for such a milestone in her life – she would now become a woman, the rightful heiress of her parents’ empire. There had been so many activities and festivals during the last few days, so much happiness in the city, the Silver Wars were almost forgotten. And she wished they would end, so her father could be with her instead of coordinating their army, so people were truly happy just like she was.

“You look so beautiful,” her mother complimented.

Veronica giggled and twirled in her navy-blue dress, with the small crystals embroidered to the skirt shining like the stars in the sky under the light. She loved her dress, her new tiara that marked her transition into adulthood. She would forever remember when her father had crowned her Princess Protector of Malina.

“Thank you, Mother,” Veronica leaned forward, taking her mother’s hands in hers and grinning. “Is Father ready for our dinner? I cannot wait to open presents.”

“Veronica,” her mother scolded, but with amusement laced to her voice. Yes, Veronica was about to become a woman, but she still was a child in many aspects, and would always be in her mother’s eyes.

Hermione, looking as regal as always, stunning in her black dress and jewelry, wrapped her daughter in a tight hug.

“I’m so proud of you,” she whispered into Veronica’s ear.

Back then, neither of them guessed that would be one of their last moments of happiness. But it was soon clear for them, once the alarms in the city went off. The horn-like sound was as ominous as always, but they’ve never sounded so close before.

A guard quickly entered Veronica’s bedchambers, boots frantically clicking against the black and lustrous floor.

“We’re to take you to the safe room, Your Majesty.” The man announced, laser gun already in hand.

Veronica clutched her mother’s arm, and Hermione pulled her daughter closer, as if she alone could protect her from any harm. And maybe her soul would always keep Veronica safe, but her body could never shelter her daughter from what was about to come.

“Where’s Hiram?” Hermione asked as she followed the guards, making sure Veronica was keeping up with them.

Veronica could only look in horror at her mother’s face, hoping to find some solace, but only finding the same terror she felt.

“The King is waiting in the Great Room.”

“What’s going on, Mother?” Veronica muttered in a frail voice she couldn’t recognize as her own. “Mommy?” she whispered as if she were again a little girl, and not the Princess becoming a woman. She wasn’t supposed to be scared, the empire was strong, they had survived for years to the war. But how could she not?

“I’m not allowed to tell you, Your Majesty,” replied the captain of the guards, just as they turned left on the hall to enter the Great Room.

Her father stood before the throne as he always did, looking commanding and strong. And even if Hiram Lodge wasn’t the tallest or biggest man in the galaxy, he was feared, because he has power and knowledge. Why else start the Silver Wars, Veronica wondered. Why would her father risk everything to take over a planet if not to make things right? Arawath would thrive, just like Malina did. Or that’s what she thought.

“Hiram, love,” Hermione greeted, but stopped before reaching him when his scowl deepened. “What’s wrong? Why are the alarms going off?”

There was a sneer on his face, almost as if he had tasted the most bitter sip of ogglep water. Rotten. Spoilt. Like his plans.

“We’re being attacked by the Sirteans. Malina is surrounded, and we’re calling the ships to return, but it’ll take some time before we can face them with all our power.” Hiram laced his fingers together, and then looked at Hermione’s side. He tried to seem reassuring, but it didn’t work this time. “Everything will be back on track soon enough. We might have to postpone your dinner, Veronica, but it will happen.” The smile on his face didn’t reach his eyes – it never did those days. “I won’t let them take this moment from you.”

But then one of the commanders approached Hiram to speak only for him, and his face fell as he heard the news.

“Go to the safe room.”

“Father–“ Veronica tried, but she was quickly grabbed by her arm by a guard who pulled her away from her father.

“Do as I say Veronica!” he angrily shouted, expression tensed and fists balled up.

“My little dove,” Hermione whispered, smiling the best she could. “We’ll be fine. I promise.”

They were taken to a small room in the back of the castle. It was near the servant quarters, unassuming but well-guarded. The thick walls and security system were made to keep them safe in case of invasion.

The ground shook under their feet, and Veronica heard the first screams.

A guard lost his self-control and said what they were hearing though the communications devices. “We’re being bombarded. The city is on fire.”

“Mother?”

Hermione wrapped Veronica in a hug, and as she did, she ordered the guards to lead her to the shipyard. They refused at first, but she became insistent, and also used her calm yet commanding voice to order them to comply.

They ran through the halls, passing by the pile of gifts that Veronica had been so eager to open just moments before. And the ground rattled again, just as Hermione reached for a box with a silver bow on top, handing it to Veronica.

“Hold it tight. It’ll be dear to you, Veronica. This is home, this is me.” Hermione gripped her daughter’s hand tight as they ran through the bridge that led them to the smallest ships. Their flowy dresses were like ghosts chasing them, glimmering under the pale light of the Malina’s moons.

Veronica hadn’t realized she had been crying until they stood before a tiny shuttle, and her mother opened the hatch. It was an escape pod, only to be occupied by one person.

“Mother?” Veronica’s eyes widened when she realized what was going on.

“There’s no time, Veronica.” Hermione cradled her daughter’s face in her hands and kissed her forehead. “You are Malina. My one concern is for you to live.”

“Don’t, mommy,” she whined, trying to grasp her mother’s dress before she was pushed into the shuttle. “Don’t!”

“You need to leave, my sweet dove,” her mother said. Concern was etched all over her face, but she was also sure she was doing the right thing.

“No, mommy!” Veronica pled, as she stared into the warm orbs of her mother. Hermione touched her cheek one last time, in sign of a blessing. The beautiful face of her mother was her last memory before she was sent into space alone, with that stupid box that contained a purple ogglep flower – the last royal flower of the empire.

Her eyes were filled with tears as she crossed the atmosphere, as she felt the ship seemingly be adrift in space. Going past the Impoli Empire’s fleet, beyond the Sirtean starships. She saw the explosion of her home through that tiny round window, all fire and debris in slow motion.

Veronica saw everything she had ever had being destroyed. And her eyes clouded again, and she screamed into the vast space, but only to be heard by herself, and wondered why had her father started this war? Why had they lost? And what would be of her?

She didn’t remember how much time she spent on space until the shuttle landed in Duois. But soon she would learn she was the Nightfall of Malina – the Sirteans had waited for the distraction of her birthday to attack, and her shuttle was the shadow across the sky before everything came to an end.

 

 

For a moment, she wanted to tell them she had stolen it, or maybe exchanged it for something of value in one of her many trips. But Veronica was well aware she couldn’t hide who she was for much longer, much less among these people. And as much as it pained her to admit it, they wouldn’t survive a trip like this if they didn’t trust each other – they had relied on each other for their lives, so what was her story in exchange of safety?

“It’s mine. By birthright,” Veronica answered softly, feeling a more painful pang in her chest than the bullet wound in her back.

There wasn’t an easy way to explain she was the heiress of the Impoli Empire. It had been even harder to learn all the wrong doings of her father. She felt ashamed of carrying that with her, even if she knew it was part of her history. But she could never understand why Hiram Lodge had decided to go to war for Arawath, one of the poorest planets in the system. Even if the land had been rich in minerals and metals, why had he decided to almost exterminate the population? He could’ve bought it, traded it, but he chose to just take it.

When she met Jughead, back in the day, she wasn’t sure how to deal with him. Funnily enough, they quickly fell into the arguments and the mocking of each other – maybe because they both came from planets that had been destroyed. They shared stories, and it was how they bonded over tragedy. So, she wasn’t really surprised when he was the one placing a hand over her shoulder in some attempt to comfort her.

He didn’t seem surprised either when she shrugged it off.

She didn’t need or want the pity.

But then there was Archie, his soft eyes on her almost remorseful for something he hadn’t done – for something most planets in the system thought it was fair in order to ensure the peace in years to come.

“You are–“

“The Nightfall of Malina,” Veronica sighed, standing up. “Veronica Lodge, Princess of the Impoli Empire. Or queen, perhaps.” She clenched her jaw, feeling her eyes prickling at the memory of her mother. “I cannot remember the right titles now, since there’s not planet to rule over.”

“Veronica,” Betty muttered. She was clearly taken aback with this revelation. It could’ve been the fact that she wasn’t the only princess on board, but Veronica had the feeling that wasn’t it.

For a long time, people thought the whole royal family had been killed. If that was the case, no one could claim territory in name of the Malina people. They wandered the galaxy without land to call their own. If she did accept the title, as a ruler, Veronica was entitled to offer shelter to her people.

“I’m from Malina, as well,” Toni said, shrugging a shoulder as if it wasn’t a big deal. “Not a royal, of course.” The mischief in Toni’s voice made Veronica’s lips curve up in a soft smile. At least someone understood the same pain, and tried to give her an exit.

Still, the prince of Terridine and the princess of Omia kept their eyes on her. Perhaps they tried to search for clues, for details that confirmed the story. But they wouldn’t find them – her scars weren’t on her skin, but deep inside her. The conflict of the love for her father and the hate for her king, the man who sacrificed planets for richness. The loneliness and the survivor’s guilt, because even if she knew she couldn’t have done a thing to save her mother or anyone else, she blamed herself. People would’ve been safer if they kept their distance from her.

“I’m… tired,” Veronica murmured. Her dress was muddy and torn but it swished against the metal floor of the ship as she walked to her quarters.

“Veronica!” Archie’s voice called behind her, eliciting a sigh from her.

Closing her eyes, she told him, “Not now.” Her head hurt, her eyes burned with unshed tears – there were many reasons why she hated talking about her past.

But instead of the awkward babbling, of the cute boyish blush on his face while he tried to explain himself, Archie just wrapped his strong arms around her from behind. One arm across her waist, and the other around her shoulders, he pulled her tight against his chest. Veronica clung to his hands, she didn’t know if to push him away or keep him closer, but his warmth melted the thought away.

“Sorry,” he whispered softly to her ear. “I’m so sorry, Ronnie.” He pressed his lips to her temple, and she felt a sob bubbling in her throat.

“I want to be alone,” she muttered in a horrible attempt to sound normal. In a blatant lie. But this was her life. She liked not to depend on anyone, and she couldn’t have that luxury now, to only miss it again later when Archie was gone.

“If you need me–“

“Archie.”

“If you need me just give me a shout or send Vegas,” he said as the dog sat before her, studying her. Vegas’ tongue lolled out of his snout, making her smile.

She relished on the fierce embrace for one more second, before she forced him to let go.

Not once she looked back. As usual she hid her tears until she was safe in her chambers, Vegas and her ogglep flower as the only witnesses of her breakdown.

 

 

“Hey,” Veronica called softly as she entered the training room. It was impossible to miss Archie kicking and punching the heavy bag in a corner of the room. He was shirtless and the black short he donned hung low on his hips. His royal tattoo, and the ones earned through his training as a Sirtean soldier were on display. His new brown hair stuck in different ways, wet with sweat.

“Hey.” And yet he smiled brightly at her, almost blinding her with that kindness.

Veronica giggled at how ridiculous the situation seemed.

They should’ve been mortal enemies – his father commanded the army that ended her planet. Her father almost exterminated Arawath, and even some of his own people. And here they were, in the middle of the Verdaleir system, trying to survive together.

“Are you hungry?” Archie gasped as he tried to control his breathing, one hand pressed to the heavy bag he had just been punishing.

“A little.”

“I made some food, for you. There are peaches I had hidden from Jug. I think the sweetness will cheer you up.” He got near her, and she would’ve liked to behave like the princess she was, like she knew she would’ve reacted at fifteen, disgusted by this sweating dirty man. And yet, she was about to ask him to spar for a while.

“Thank you.”

“I’ll go clean up, so you can be alone a while longer,” he offered while locking eyes with her, but as soon as he finished the sentence, he walked past her.

She wanted to stop him, but it wasn’t the right time. She was still pondering about her decisions, about how much to share with her companions, and wondering if she had done the right thing by telling them the truth. Were they at risk now? Probably not more than the one they already were in.

“Smithers,” Veronica called.

“Yes, Miss Veronica,” the operative system of the ship replied.

“Recalculate the best route to Gratian, make sure to add a stop in Aurus to get a present for the priestesses in Fari,” Veronica ordered as she moved towards the kitchen, noticing the large bowl with food and a smaller one with golden peaches floating in sweet syrup. The smell alone made her grin in anticipation.

“Immediately, Miss Veronica.”

She wolfed down the bowl of food, and then she allowed herself to enjoy the fruits from Terridine. It had been so long since she had eaten fruit grown under sunlight, cultivated in long processes by real farmers – the old way, Sirteans called it. The syrup was almost running down her chin as she drank it when Betty found her.

Omia’s princess giggled. “Archie almost ripped Jughead’s cyber arm off when he suggested to split the peaches between us.”

Veronica wiped her chin with the back of her hand.

“Are you okay, Veronica? I understand if you wish to keep things to yourself, but… we worry. It’s just us now. The least we can do is take care of each other,” Betty said as she moved around the kitchen to sit at the table, in front of Veronica. There was real concern in her light eyes. She would’ve been an excellent queen for Terridine once the time come, but Veronica was sure that wasn’t in Betty’s plans anymore. The blonde princess was wearing Jughead’s jacket.

Instead of replying, Veronica dodged the question, and asked, “We’ll start taking care of ourselves by not telling anyone the youngest of Omia’s princesses spent the night with a cyborg.”

Betty’s cheeks were bathed in a deep blush as she looked away. But she smiled, despite how much she tried not to by biting her lips.

“We just kissed. Hugged. All night. And… I cannot bring myself to feel guilty about it. If this is my only chance, then I’ve decided to take as much from it as I can.” Betty took a deep breath. “I love him, and he loves me. The universe might not make sense of it, but we do. And I guess that’s all it matters now.”

It wasn’t. Veronica was aware that the love Betty and Jughead might’ve shared wasn’t enough for anyone – not even them. Because, where would they find peace? What would happen to their responsibilities? It wasn’t as easy as they wanted to believe, which was why Veronica had kept her life a secret – there was so much on the line.

But then again, why couldn’t they have the right to be happy?

“Just make sure that bucket-head doesn’t eat my food,” Veronica quipped as she got up to wash the now empty bowls.

Betty snickered. “I’ll try my best. I cannot promise anything, though. He gets ravenous when stressed.”

“He must have a pretty stressful life.”

 

 

“Aurus?” Toni asked as she took the spot next to Veronica in the cockpit. “You think that’s a good idea? That planet is paradise for gamblers and flamboyant people who don’t know what to do with their money.”

“You think there’s a bounty on our heads?” Veronica replied with her own question as she checked the control panel. “We’re low on fuel, so we have to stop somewhere. And we need an offering in exchange of the priestesses blessing and read.”

Toni rolled her eyes. “Smithers,” she called, making Veronica chuckle as the machine replied, waiting for further instructions. “Search for bounties on the passengers of the ship. Share details.”

“Of course. Processing,” Smithers answered and a few moments passed before the system spoke again. “Archimedes Andrews, Prince of Terridine. Alive, a million kerds. Tips, a hundred-thousand kerds. Elizabeth Cooper, Princess of Omia. Alive, a million kerds. Tips, a hundred-thousand kerds. Forsythe Pendleton ‘Jughead’ Jones III, smuggler and cyborg. Alive, five-hundred-thousand kerds. Tips, fifty-thousand kerds.” The system paused and then continued. “Unknown female, purple hair, brown eyes. Mechanic. And unknown female, black hair, brown eyes. Smuggler and pilot. Both spoke portraits match Miss Antoinette Topaz and Miss Veronica Lodge. Dead or alive, one and a half million kerds. Accused of treason and kidnapping.”

Veronica heaved a sigh. “I guess it’s time to change our looks before landing.”

Toni rolled her eyes. “You think Red has some dye left?”

Laughing, Veronica shook her head. “No, but I have some wigs you can borrow.”

“Not the first time you get a bounty on your head?”

“What can I say? Seems like trouble can’t stay away from me.” Veronica set the ship in autopilot, and stood up. “I’m not going to let myself get caught, but I’m not going to hide either. We just need to outsmart them, and obviously that’s not hard since we’ve gotten this far.”

Toni smirked, and waved her off. “I’ll stay here a while, see if there’s something about the ship we need to take care of once we land in Aurus. And also try to come up with a new name for myself.”

“I have mine.” She cleared her throat, and in a slightly more nasal voice said, “Monica Posh, pleased to meet you.”

“That won’t work.”

“It will. Just trust me,” Veronica added smiling, just as Archie popped his head in.

His mouth tilted in a crooked smile. “I do. Just tell me what to do. Anything you ask.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's the big secret Veronica was hiding, but thanks to that, there will be more for her in the future. Also, the trip isn't over yet.


	6. All That Glitters Is Not Gold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I've been busy writing two fics at once (and ignoring another) I haven't been able to reply to the comments, but I'm going to make time.  
> All I'll say about this chapter is that I like it, and it's the longest one yet. I hope you enjoy it!

People said you could be blinded by the lights in Aurus. A small and dark planet, its atmosphere had been artificially created to accommodate casinos and luxurious resorts. It was all about business, offering the most exclusive products in the system to those who could pay for them, even if it was on the black market in exchange of goods different than kerds. A planet for those searching for a thrill, with a lust for life, and to live in a perpetual bacchanal.

“Stay still,” Veronica told Archie as she combed his hair backwards in a slick hairstyle. In response, he pulled a face she could see through the mirror in front of them.

“I look like an asshole,” he muttered under his breath, making her chuckle.

“You do.” She leaned forward, over his left shoulder, and kissed his cheek. It was a chaste and friendly gesture, but she had to admit she wasn’t affectionate with just anyone. “But you’re supposed to play the part. You promised.”

A corner of his mouth tilted up right before he sighed. “I know. Brawler from Arcadium, and also your bodyguard.” He turned around to face her, and not just look at her through the mirror. He frowned once again as he took in her looks – blonde and long fake hair, golden jewelry, and a long royal blue satin dress. “I like _your_ hair better.”

“Oh, but this is my hair.” Veronica was once again using her more nasal voice. She also exaggerated the sway of her hips, and her gestures in a more dramatic fashion. With one hand, she flipped her hair. “Monica Posh, darling.”

When he stood up, they realized he was much closer to her than intended, almost towering over her. Veronica’s eyes locked with his golden ones, feeling her heart speeding up, even if he wasn’t touching her at all. What was this man doing to her? She liked her independence, being alone, and prided herself of not needing anyone. Yet, after that kiss in Eritiem, she craved for more of him.

Archie’s right hand curled around the curve of her waist, and Veronica bit the corner of her lip. The little pinch was the only thing that woke her from the hazy moment, from falling into this spell the prince of Terridine seemed to have on her.

She pushed his hand away as gently as she could – in a move that wasn’t really to discourage him, but to tell him that this wasn’t the right time. “Hands off, Wilbur.”

“What kind of name is that?” His eyebrows knitted together, and an indignant expression appeared on his beautiful face.

“The perfect name for a meathead fighter from Arcadium,” Veronica quipped, just as Betty and Jughead poked their heads in the gym.

The princess from Omia looked quite different from her usual self. Betty donned a black wig and a skin-tight black dress, with dramatic makeup to match. Despite that, her light eyes still showed part of her innocence, a gleam that could never be disguised for those who truly knew how life worked. And at her side, Jughead had traded his usual scruffy outfit for a much classier suit that covered his cybernetic limbs.

“Are you wearing gloves?” Archie asked as he slipped a leather jacket on, trying and succeeding at looking tougher than his usual self.

“I’ve got to hide the circuits in my hand,” Jughead replied, tugging the collar of his shirt once more before Betty’s hand reached up to stop him from fidgeting. “I feel stuffy,” he muttered for the woman at his side, making her smile.

Betty shrugged a pale shoulder. “I sort of miss the greenish glow of your hand,” she whispered, but Veronica was able to hear it. Those two seemed to be getting closer with the chance they were provided of living their love story away from the sharp claws of Betty’s parents, and society.

“You sure you don’t miss any other glowing bits of Bucket-head, B?” Veronica teased Betty, to which the girl in black wig giggled, cheeks tinting in a rosy pink shade, despite Jughead’s grumbling noises.

“I don’t need to listen to this,” Archie said as he made his way out of the gym, but before he could, Smithers’ voice started giving them information.

“Miss Toni wishes to inform you we’re at zero-point-three parsecs from Aurus. We should be arriving soon and given the meteor storm near Aurus, it’s best for all passengers to securely strap themselves to their seats,” Smithers finished with a little click at the end of the information.

Veronica rolled her eyes. It was quite uncomfortable to use the ship’s seatbelts while wearing a dress, but she preferred it to bumping her head against something if the turbulence was too bad. Still, the bad space weather near Aurus wasn’t uncommon – it served as a natural protection for the planet, and one of the reasons it was chosen by smugglers to make transactions.

“Should we go over the plan again?” Toni asked from the pilot’s seat. It was quite strange to see her in dark hair with the green tips in a long braid over her shoulder, instead of her signature purple hair. She was also in a form-fitting white outfit in an effort to pass as an elite soldier from Terridine, a unit created after the Silver Wars to protect foreign planets. She wouldn’t get questions that way when she tried to get supplies for the ship.

“You go for supplies for the ship, trying to get as much possible with the few kerds we have,” Veronica started. “Monica Posh and her bodyguard will go to the Andromeda Plaza in look for an offering to the priestesses. And lastly, Glowing Nuts and Runaway Bride are keeping an eye on Elio Grande at the Cheval d’Or Club.”

Jughead threw Veronica an unamused look, but Archie snickered at her side.

The idea was to be attentive to Elio’s every move, because his family was the owner of almost half of the entertainment facilities in Aurus – and more than that, he was in charge of security, which was their biggest threat at the moment. The Grande’s golden heir not only prided himself on keeping his costumers happy, but also of doing business like no one else, which was how Veronica had met him. Many times, Elio had asked for the most peculiar and precious items kerds could buy, and Veronica had always managed to get the job done. If he happened to see her, though, she was sure he would be the first to exchange them for the bounties on their heads. It was business. Nothing more, and nothing less.

The landing was as hard as expected, but the Diamond Dove resisted as always. During the journey, the ship had earned some badges in the shape of scratches and bumps, but Veronica planned on fixing all that once they were out of danger – once she could live with the promised reward and go back to her solitary life.

They decided to go separate ways from the start, so no witnesses could connect them to each other. The first to leave was Toni, with her characteristic confidence, she grabbed her guns and left, promising to be back before sunrise – the calmest time of the day in Aurus. Soon followed Betty and Jughead, hand in hand, pretending to be a wealthy couple from Khimaros, a planetoid known for its advances in illegal genetic modification, just outside the system, which meant they didn’t answer to Verdaleir laws.

“So, it’s just us, now, huh?” Veronica murmured, feeling her heart hammering against her ribs. If it had been just herself, she would’ve been fine, but now she felt responsible for all these people.

“Ronnie–“ Archie tried, but she shushed him by pressing a finger against his lips, smiling seductively.

“It’s Monica, sweets.” And then she turned to a patiently waiting Vegas. “Pup, you better take care of my ship.” As if the cyberdog could speak, he barked twice. “Good boy,” she said and Vegas waggled his tail and let his tongue rolled out.

“Why do I feel I’ll have to fight with you over him one day?” Archie asked, as he helped her walking down the ramp since her heels didn’t seem to be the best footwear for it.

 

 

Andromeda Plaza was basically a shopping district where anyone could find anything if they were willing to pay the right price. Not every transaction was glamorous – there had been rumors about the sale of slaves, and once upon a time even orphaned babies from Arawath and Malina during the Silver Wars. No one really knew if this was true, though Veronica guessed it might have been. People generally liked to prove how rich they were, and they did so in the most disgusting ways, just like the greed of her father had done.

In a little boutique of ancient and ritualistic objects, Veronica found an ornate coffee pot made of gold, accompanied by six small cups and a plate. The pot’s main characteristic was its spout in the shape of a crescent moon, believed to be the source of good luck as its contents were poured into the cups. It was said to be used by seers to drink their mystical concoctions.

“Do we have enough for that?” Archie asked as quietly as he could, trying not to give them away.

Veronica studied the engraving, a map of the Verdaleir system, including Malina, which meant it wasn’t new. “With your kerds, yes. Besides, we can always barter.” She painted a smile on her face, and a look of superiority before turning to the saleswoman. At first, the woman with greyish hair didn’t seem impressed by _Monica Posh_ , but soon Veronica’s character showed her teeth by pointing out the several objects in the room that happened to be fake, and were being advertised as originals. A smuggler always knew the worth of their cargo, it was a rule, and at that Veronica was the best.

She not only got a discount, but also a few trinkets that would maybe be worth something if she looked at them later.

“I’m impressed,” Archie praised her, watching the velvet bag she carried as if it were a baby. True, she had got a discount, but the set had been pricey enough to probably buy herself a new ship – not that she ever would, since the Diamond Dove was her most precious possession.

“You shouldn’t,” she smiled over her shoulder. “This is my job. What I do best. You just hadn’t seen me in action.”

Since they had been able to achieve their goal so quickly and without a hitch, they were strolling in their way back, watching the shoppers in Andromeda Plaza as if they weren’t escaping from who knew how many bounty hunters and armies from different planets.

They walked past a beautiful restaurant with warm lights that smelled like saffron and sweet spices.

“Maybe,” Veronica hesitated, but then found Archie’s eyes and easy smile turned in her direction. “We deserve a little reward. A respite from this craziness. How about eating something delicious before facing your fate?”

“I’m your bodyguard. I’ll follow you anywhere.”

They sat at a small table, and the waiter only addressed her – as it was accustomed in Aurus, employees had no right to speak up or give orders to anyone. She ordered food for both of them – saffron roasted duck, with almonds and rice from Terridine. It had been long since they had a proper meal, so they barely spoke to each other, only sharing glances and enjoying the warm food. If they had been allowed, they would’ve inhaled the dishes as quick as they could, but they still needed to be in character.

For dessert, Veronica decided on a plate of puff pastry bites filled with fruit jams. It was delicious, and she knew Archie thought so as well. But despite how sweet the dessert was, she imagined it would’ve tasted sweeter in Archie’s mouth – her cheeks felt warmer as she noticed the drop of jam on the cupid’s bow of his mouth.

“You have jam on…” She pointed her own mouth, and watched with disappointment as he cleaned it off.

“Thank you,” he murmured.

They paid for the decadent treat, and made their way back to the ship with still two hours left before sunrise. Waiting for them, Toni was already putting away her purchases. She had managed to get everything on the list and more, which would be useful in any case since spare parts weren’t easy to get while travelling, much less in a planet like Fari.

“The happy couple hasn’t returned yet,” Toni told them. “And it’s too risky for us to contact them, so I say we wait until sunrise before we get worried.”

“I think that’s the best,” Archie agreed as he plopped down on a seat to scratch Vegas behind the ears. Veronica took the seat next to him, and felt her eyelids getting heavier before she let herself succumb into a slumber.

It was unclear how much time had passed by the time Archie woke her up. But the worry in his eyes was enough to clear the haze of her nap.

“They haven’t returned yet. We gave them an extra half hour, but… I think something is wrong,” he babbles, running a hand over his slicked hair.

Veronica lifted her gaze to see Toni, arms crossed over her chest, and concern written all over her face.

Since they were going undercover, Jughead had agreed not to use his enhanced prosthetics, and given he had covered them up with a disguise, it was very difficult he’d be able to respond quickly enough in case they were ambushed. Betty, even if she had learned a few moves with them during her stay in the ship, wouldn’t be ready to face Elio’s thugs.

“We’re going for them. We don’t leave anyone behind.” She stood up, and addressed Toni. “Stay here while we go for Betty and Jughead.”

“In case we need a fast takeoff?” Toni wondered.

“And because we need someone reliable and capable in case we get in trouble. You’re our last chance, Topaz. No pressure.” Veronica said as she stopped Archie before he grabbed his dirk and laser gun.

“Sure,” Toni replied, while heaving a sigh.

“We need something to defend ourselves,” Archie complained.

“We won’t get into the Cheval d’Or if we carry any sort of weapon. Jughead passed the security because his prosthetics are bioengineered, meaning there’s organic tissue covering up some of the parts to make it compatible with his body. We don’t have that.” She smoothed her dress and took a few deep breaths.

“Then what are your suggestions?”

“We hope for the best. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll bargain something for them.”

 

 

Cheval d’Or was a club built to please its customers. Music filled every corner, the bar offered a continuous supply of alcohol and there were different levels that provided entertainment for the guests. Veronica knew the place. She was aware Elio was keeping an eye on every corner, even if he joined the crowd and charmed them into believing this was the perfect lifestyle – it wasn’t. Elio knew so, because his and his family’s hands were tainted with blood and dirty money.

Veronica moved through the crowd still channeling her Monica Posh persona, but also followed closely by Archie. They scanned the sea of faces, but none of them were Betty or Jughead. They couldn’t find them by the time they reached the bar, and then they started to get more anxious. Only one shared look was enough for them to understand this task wouldn’t be as easy as they had hoped so.

“Miss Posh?” a woman with lilac dreadlocks and neon blue eyes called, waiting until Veronica turned to her to continue. The bartender smiled, showing small sharp teeth in a smug smile. “Mister Grande requests your presence in his office. Now.” Those scary neon eyes glanced appreciatively to Archie. “Your companion can join you. Follow me.”

It was like this how Veronica discovered Elio had detected their presence in Aurus. He had probably known since they had landed, but they didn’t have many options in their journey to Fari – a few poor or abandoned planets that wouldn’t have had the supplies they needed – and they couldn’t go back.

They entered a small elevator with pale yellow lights on the walls, and Veronica felt Archie’s hand searching for hers. She only allowed herself to squeeze it hard for a second, hoping to get some sort of comfort out of it, because this time she wasn’t alone, but who knew if that made things better for them?

The woman stepped out of the elevator, and Veronica let go of Archie’s hand to follow the bartender down the corridor until they reached a double door at the end. As they approached, the doors opened to let them in. The woman stopped, though, and motioned for them to enter the office.

“He’s waiting for you.”

Squaring her shoulders, Veronica kept going until she saw the man dressed in a golden suit sitting on a big cherry red armchair with his legs crossed, and a self-sufficient smile on his face.

“Veronica Lodge,” Elio greeted without moving from his place. “Did you really think you could fool me with this cheap disguise as an Omia socialite? It’s so sad.”

Balling her fists, Veronica tensed her jaw, but replied as politely as she could. “Elio, darling, I truly don’t know what are you talking about. I’m just doing business, and as you know, some clients are more dangerous than others.”

Elio’s smile grew bigger, until it seemed to mock her, and then his eyes traveled to Archie for a brief moment, enough to measure him up. “You should’ve been honest with me, Veronica. I might’ve helped you if you had. But those bounties on your heads are just enough to cover for the nuisance of your presence, and the damage caused to our well-known reputation.”

Veronica scoffed. “You don’t help anyone but yourself.”

Elio smirked. “True. But since we’ve known each other so long, I have a deal to offer you.” He snapped his fingers and one of his goons turned on a screen. Soon there was video playing of what Veronica could recognize as a Betty and Jughead dancing among a group of people, except they seemed very unlike themselves – uninhibited, with their hands all over each other. It wasn’t like them to put themselves in danger like this. “The little Omian Princess, and the cyborg in exchange for you and the Prince of Terridine.” He motioned towards Archie.

Veronica snorted a laugh. “You think this guy is a prince? Have you ever met one? Because this is just a troublemaker from Arcadium that I picked up to watch my back. But apparently he can’t even do that.” Her heart was beating so fast, she could hear it ringing in her ears, but she hoped Elio couldn’t notice.

“Is that so?”

Fortunately, Archie just kept quiet, clenching his jaw at the sight of his friends who knew where. They just knew Betty and Jughead were seemingly alive.

“It is,” Veronica spat. “So, you have to find something else for this exchange, because I want money too. I was planning on dropping them in Omia on my way back to Hadrian.” She arched an eyebrow. “I could share the bounty with you, if you let me be on my way.”

Elio chuckled lowly, as if he were faking amusement. “Better yet, if you claim he’s not Archimedes Andrews, then I propose this: I’ll let you and your friends go, without charge, if your fighter can beat one of my men.”

“What kind? The ones you share your bed with or your fighters? Or those who do both?” Veronica shot back, feeling slightly accomplished when his expression darkened in veiled anger. “And there’s no way! Your fights are rigged. Your fighters are on juice and maybe gold-dust. That shit you sell to your clients.” Then her eyes traveled to the screen again, Jughead was kissing Betty’s neck, his hands holding her tight against his body, while the princess seemed to be in ecstasy, eyes closed and out in space. “They are on gold-dust. You drugged them!”

“No. They just didn’t order the right drink.” Elio stood up, smoothing his suit before he plastered a smile on his face. “You won’t get them out of here on their own free will. So, I ask again, do we have a deal? Your fighter, against one of mine. No rules while they are on the ring.”

“No!” Veronica shouted, but Archie stepped before her.

“I’ll do it. I win, and you let us all go. You don’t tell anyone, and we’re out of your planet.” Archie outstretched his hand to shake Elio’s, despite Veronica trying to stop him. The pleased smile on the club’s owner’s face exasperated Veronica.

“Are you crazy?” Veronica hissed as they were led to the underground ring in the building. “He won’t let you win! He’s just profiting from us, and he’ll try to get as many kerds as he can from this. He’s not planning on letting us go.”

Archie turned around and grabbed Veronica by the shoulders. “I won’t let you or anyone pay for this. I won’t let them hurt you.” A feeble smile made it to his lips. “Besides, I’m a pretty good fighter.”

“Archie–“

It was his turn to press a finger to her lips to quiet her. “Wilbur, right?” He shrugged a shoulder, and the disappeared into a locker room, led by two of Elio’s men. “See you soon!”

Veronica wrapped her arms around herself, feeling ridiculous in her disguise, and wanting nothing more than to be hundreds of parsecs away from there – with Archie safe and sound.

The woman with the lilac dreadlocks returned to Veronica’s side, and Veronica sneered at her. “Mister Grande has reserved a special seat for you, very close to the ring. If you follow me.”

Indeed, Elio had saved the seat to his left for Veronica. He was now in a black suit and gold flakes framed the sides of his eyes. The morbid joy he felt as he saw the men from the previous match fighting on the ring made Veronica shiver. Each drop of blood seemed to make him giddy as if it were the best drug.

Sitting down, Veronica tried to ignore the people cheering, the cracking noises of bone and skin breaking, the smell of sweat and blood, and the heaviness of the thick air around them. But once they started cleaning the ring for the next fight, the smell of cleanser made her feel nauseous.

“Are you ready?” Elio asked, keeping a smile on his face. “There are so many bets against your fighter from Arcadium, I feel the winnings might make up for all this inconvenience.”

Veronica swallowed thickly, and she grabbed a hexagonal token she had hidden in her left breast. “Six-thousand kerds say he wins.” She flicked the coin, and Elio took it as his lips pressed into a tight line.

She was not going to let this go his way. Archie had to win. There was no other chance.

The moments that followed until Archie climbed onto the ring were excruciating, but it might’ve been even worse when he did. He was facing a man taller than him, and also broader, but fortunately without cybernetic parts – which meant little, considering Archie’s opponent more likely than not was on some kind of high.

“Guess what?” Elio leaned closer to Veronica to whisper, making her shiver in disgust when she felt his breath against her ear. “The opponent is a true brawler from Arcadium. Don’t you love the irony? Not even those tattoos on the prince’s body will save him. He’s trained, but he doesn’t know what means to survive.”

Veronica wanted to slap the smug smile off Elio’s face, but she knew it would only make matters worse.

When the bell rang to indicate the start of the fight, Veronica was on the edge of her seat.

At first, both men studied each other, tested their reactions, their speed. Archie landed a soft blow on the other man’s shoulder, but soon received a whole punch on the right side of his chest. That was the true beginning of the fight. Archie and the Arcadian kept punching and kicking each other, until a back kick found Archie in a bad position and he stumbled back, falling onto the mat.

Archie tried to move away, but before he could, the other fighter fell on top of him with fury. He punched Archie repeatedly, and continued to do so despite Archie’s attempt to protect his face with his fists. Somehow, with the help of his legs, Archie managed to get free, and as they stood up, he used his knee to knock the side of the Arcadian’s face. But Archie was already bleeding from a gash over his eyebrow and his broken lip.

Jumping to her feet, Veronica stopped herself from screaming.

Taking advantage from the dizziness of his opponent, Archie tried to finish him with a punch, but he got kicked in the stomach before he could land it. Doubling over, Archie tried to catch his breath. He didn’t manage to do that, though, because he received a new kick on his back, that threw him back on the ground.

“You better get back up!” Veronica shouted and she felt desperate as Archie watched her through the blood that had dripped down his eyes. One was already swelling. “Get the fuck up,” she muttered, mostly to herself. “ _Come on!”_

And right before the Arcadian tried to finish him with a kick to the head, Archie rolled over and stood up. He was limping, but that was the least of his worries. He was short of breath, and his eye was closing up. He had to act fast. So, he let his guard down, and waited for the other fighter to try to ram him into the ground again. When that happened, Archie turned around sideways and used his elbow to jam it into his opponent’s eye socket. Using the momentum, with a back kick that pushed the man forcefully onto the ground, Archie rendered the Arcadian unconscious.

“That’s impossible!” Elio shouted, pure wrath dripping from his words.

But Veronica couldn’t pay attention to him, as Archie was declared winner. His right arm was lifted in sign of victory, but as soon as it fell to his side, Archie too collapsed.

“You made a deal!” Veronica yelled as she moved towards Archie. “Give me my friends, my money and my champion back.”

Elio’s face contorted in displeasure. “Take them. But next time, I won’t be so lenient, Veronica.”

 

 

By the time they were able to crawl their way back into the ship, Betty and Jughead were no longer under the influence of gold-dust – Elio’s euphoria inducing drug – but they were still dizzy and disoriented, as part of its side effects. Veronica had managed to lead them to the ship, and drag Archie with her only thanks to the two henchmen Elio had sent with them to make sure they left Aurus quickly.

“What happened?” Toni exclaimed as soon as she saw them entering the ship, closing the ramp off before Elio’s men saw too much of the inside.

“We survive another day,” Veronica murmured, feeling the heavy weight of Archie now that she was trying to keep him upright by herself. “Could you make sure they are okay?” She motioned to Betty and Jughead. “They are hungover, but they should be okay soon.”

“Sure.” Toni’s frown deepened as she took in the bad shape in which Archie was. His eye was fully closed now thanks to the swelling, and the blood had dried in nonsensical patterns over his face and neck – she hadn’t even seen the bruises under his shirt. “What about him?”

“I’ll take care of him.” Veronica used all her strength to haul a hurt Archie to her chambers. He moved mindlessly, just following her. Vegas was close to them, and she let the dog into her quarters when she finally laid Archie on her bed. In silence, she warmed up some water, grabbed some bandages, and one vial of poppy milk. Also, ice for his swollen eye.

Vegas whined softly, curled up next to the bed.

“Ronnie–“ Archie breathed out, and the pained sound only served to make Veronica’s eyes glisten.

Veronica shushed him, and pushed the poppy milk against his lips. “Drink up, Champ.” She sighed as he did so, hoping he’d get relief from it. She cleaned him, bandaged him up and made sure he was as comfortable as he could. “Don’t do this to me again,” she whispered once she was sure he had fallen asleep.

Gone were her wig, the jewels and the stupid dress. She was Veronica again, and Veronica could finally admit she cared for this brave and sweet prince from Terridine.


	7. Shields Down

Veronica was playing with Vegas, making the cyberdog roll on the floor in exchange of praise and a scratch behind the ears. They were quiet, concerned about the man still slumbering in Veronica’s bed. A bed she had never shared with anyone, and technically she still didn’t – she had taken the mattress from Archie’s empty bed to place it on the floor and sleep there. Close enough if he needed help, to keep an eye on the bruised prince.

“Where am I?” Archie croaked as he tried to sit up, pushing himself up with his elbows before Veronica stood up to help him. He frowned, but then took in his surroundings as his eyes opened more widely.

The glowing purple ogglep was certainly an eye-catcher, but Veronica decided to ignore his question for now, and just sat at his side, offering him a glass of water. “Drink up.” She was speaking in a soft voice. It didn’t make sense, but seeing the bruises marking his body, forced her to be gentler than usual.

“Are these your chambers?” Archie insisted, after a mouthful of water that left a few drops on the corner of his mouth. His smug smirk was very small, since a cut still pulled at his skin. “You finally let me in. All it took was for me to sacrifice myself in order to save us.”

She snorted a laugh, despite the ridiculous situation. “Shut up. I didn’t force you to do it.” In fact, she didn’t want him to even try at all.

Veronica started to check his bandages, seeing his black eye was at least less swollen, and he could open it a bit. The cuts on his face weren’t oozing blood, but a few more bruises marred his chest. “You’ve slept for two days,” Veronica told him, as she changed some of the bandages for new ones.

“Two days?” He frowned, but hissed as his eye felt the tightness of the skin stretching. “You gave me poppy milk.”

“It helped you heal faster.” That was the whole purpose for those little vials – accelerating the healing process by allowing your body to focus on regeneration and basic functions instead of daily activities.

“No wonder I’m starving,” Archie grumbled as Vegas found a spot on the bed when Veronica stood up to discard the old bandages. He scratched the dog’s head, but then leaned back against the wall behind the bed.

“I’ll bring you some food, as soon as I finish here,” Veronica muttered while she approached him again, holding something in her hand that he couldn’t see until it was too late and she was puncturing his arm with a small needle. He hissed. “It’s butterfly serum. It’ll help you be in better shape sooner.”

Butterfly serum wasn’t as most people thought made of butterflies. Its name had something to do with its colorful tone. It had been used by Malina’s soldiers to return to battle quickly – her father had invested a lot of resources on it, and now only Veronica could remember the ingredients needed to produce it, and how to.

“It is forbidden,” Archie babbled as he touched the spot on his arm, seemingly slightly ashamed of doing something illegal.

“Actually,” Veronica said, sitting on the bed again to look into his warm golden eyes, a little smirk playing at her lips. “Your father prohibited its use for enhancing performance of soldiers or athletes. He never mentioned healing his beaten son.”

There was a lopsided smile on his lips, and even with his bruised face, he was still the handsome prince she had picked up in Terridine without knowing. Except his hair was darker, even if the roots of his bright fiery hair were starting to make an appearance.

She stood up, and Vegas barely lifted his head to follow her movements, but he plopped down on the bed, at Archie’s feet. Veronica was going to get some food for Archie, probably not as good as he would’ve liked, but enough to give him some energy for recovery. Not even two steps later, she felt his hand wrapping around her wrist. Her gaze fell on his hold on her, and then traveled up to his face.

“Thank you, Ronnie.”

“For what?” She snorted a laugh. “You were the one doing the saving, Archiekins. This is the least I can do.”

Downplaying it was the best alternative, otherwise she would have to admit she couldn’t really do everything alone. This had happened to her before – of course, it had – not at the same level, but she had found herself in trouble and had to come up with creative solutions sooner or later. Now, having people to fight with her, to help her, it felt strangely comforting. Maybe she didn’t like to be alone as much as she claimed to.

As soon as she entered the kitchen, Veronica felt Betty’s eyes on her. The lovebirds still felt guilty about falling into Elio’s trap, walking right into it without a doubt. And Jughead must’ve been probably sulking somewhere in the ship, full of remorse for allowing his best friend to get into a fist fight in exchange for him and Betty.

“Has he woken up?” Betty wondered in a small and fragile voice.

“He has.” Veronica grabbed a bowl and filled it with some rice and veggies. She climbed up a chair and pushed a piece of metal that hid her stash of dry horse’s meat next to some candy from Eritiem. When she climbed back down, she noticed the painful concern in Betty’s face as the blonde princess chewed her bottom lip. Veronica sighed. “He’s fine. And you know him longer than I do, but I’m sure you know he won’t hold a grudge against you.”

“I know,” Betty mumbled miserably. “He never does. Archie is selfless like that, which is why I hate having put him in that position. I feel like we took advantage of his good heart.”

Rolling her eyes as she chopped the meat and added it to the bowl, Veronica kept talking. “You couldn’t imagine what Elio would do. He’s cunning like that. One of my best friends. One of my worst enemies. He’s a lot of fun and a pain in the ass, all at the same time.” When Betty gave her the most confused look Veronica had ever seen in her, she chortled. “We’ve known each other for too long, which I think it’s why he let us go without tricks.”

“This is your friend.” Betty looked surprised. “I really don’t want to know how your enemies are like.”

Shrugging one shoulder, Veronica said, “I’m not trying to be hard on you, but you have no idea how life outside your palaces are like. There’s no black and white. Just a lot of gray.” And taking pity on the girl, Veronica climbed the chair again, grabbing a sweet treat from her private stash, and tossed the candy in Betty’s direction. “Keep this secret from the men, please.”

Betty giggled. “Sure.” She opened the candy and before she popped it in her mouth, she added. “Thank you for taking care of him.”

Veronica kept quiet, leaving the kitchen in silence. She didn’t want to think about it – the implications of caring for someone were too much for her. Letting someone to be too close to her meant she would miss them, and she couldn’t afford that feeling.

“I like your chambers,” Archie announced as soon as she got in. He was standing before the big porthole in the middle of the room, with a view to the vastness of space, a few twinkling stars at the distance. It had been a whim, the one lavish detail she had allowed herself to have. And there he was, standing in his training pants, no shirt and bruised, but still smiling at her. She could’ve told him she liked him in her chambers, but neither of them was ready for that yet.

“Here’s the food.”

 

 

“We cannot use the deuterium transporter to Fari if we want to make it back to Terridine without stopping for fuel somewhere in the way.” Toni scoffed at the look Jughead gave her.

They were discussing the best way to plan the rest of the trip, and Jughead was hell-bent on making it to Fari as fast as they could, but the purple-haired tinkerer had her reasons not to do that.

“I’m sorry, but I think you remember what has happened each time we’ve tried to land in our way here. Forgive me for wanting to keep us in one piece,” Toni sassed back, and this time Betty and Veronica tried to hide their smiles. Toni wasn’t going to allow anyone to put them in unnecessary danger again – she had personally made sure they had enough fuel loaded in the ship to make the trip back without layovers. “The deuterium transporter consumes four-times as much fuel to keep the ship stable while transitioning to light speed.”

“But it’ll take us there faster!” Jughead enunciated as if his logic was obvious.

“You’re a baby!” Toni slammed her hands against her thighs and stood up. “And as an adult, I’m not going to argue with a child.” She turned around and returned to the cockpit.

“She’s impossible,” Jughead grumbled, more to himself than for anyone else, but Archie still heaved a sigh.

Terridine’s prince was in much better shape, even if his eye was still swollen and his face bruised. He was leaning back against the wall, arms folded over his chest and looking at his feet, a pensive look on his face.

“Would it be so bad to wait?” Archie offered in a soft tone that forced everyone to look at him. “I mean, these are the last hours we have of true freedom. Uncertainty about our future and what’s to come, it doesn’t seem so bad. Once in Fari…” he trailed off and Betty picked up his thoughts.

“Once we’re there there’s no turning back,” she complemented.

Archie nodded, turning his face to the group. “We’ll find out if our union is going to be fruitful or not.” Jughead frowned at the words of his friend, his jaw tensing at the mere thought of losing Betty because of the greater good. “We cannot ignore that. I can’t let our people to suffer because I have a duty, a responsibility. I owe it to them.”

Betty’s face crumpled in sadness. “If we’re told we must fulfill our parents’ wish, to go on with this engagement and marry, in order to keep peace in the system, we cannot put our desires before that.” She looked at Jughead, their eyes meeting and coming to the realization that they were so small in the universe, yet so important at the same time. “If I’m asked to sacrifice myself, my happiness, know that my love doesn’t change. My heart was given away already.”

The epiphany they had come to acknowledge was suddenly too heavy for Veronica to ignore. She had always known the mission in which they were, but she hadn’t had time to stop and think about the consequences. Once they reached Gratian, landed in Fari, the original job was over – the royals would find out their fate and know if they could escape a lifetime of unhappiness without bringing chaos to the universe.

Lifting her gaze from the floor, she turned to meet Archie’s profile. Once he felt her gaze on him, he turned to look at her. She had probably these last few hours to admit to herself that she had fallen deep into emotional turmoil, and yet she couldn’t make herself open her mouth to talk about her feelings.

“Fine,” Jughead relented. “Enjoy your last hours as outlaws, and not as prince and princess.” He snorted a laugh. “Only you two can be free while locked in a ship in the middle of space. It was always about the journey and not the destination, anyway.”

Betty smiled. She stood up and hurried herself to Jughead’s side to wrap her arms around his middle, enveloping him in a tight hug. He pressed his cheek to Betty’s forehead and returned the hug.

Why couldn’t Veronica break down the walls around her? She only felt her blood running cold, unable to move or speak. None of this was supposed to happen – she should be glad she would soon return to be alone, traveling in solitude across the system. And so, she squared her shoulders and forced herself to pretend just that. “I’ll go help Toni to devise the best route back to Terridine from Gratian.”

She felt the weight of Archie’s look on her but she didn’t turn back, not even as Betty spoke to Archie, or when the three friends started to speak about what future held for them. Future? That was such a foreign idea for Veronica – she only knew surviving.

 

 

What was better to clean her head than to exhaust her body by training? Veronica tried her best to keep her mind in a blissful blank as she punched and kicked the heavy bag in the training room. She needed to rip of those stupid ties attaching her to the people invading her ship, make her heart cold like stone, and just forget.

“Hey.”

She almost stumbled at the soft greeting, at the small smile. But mostly when she looked at Archie’s bright red hair, like a flame in the middle of the night, calling her back home.

“Your hair,” she pathetically babbled, making him chuckle.

“Yes. Um, Toni helped me. Since it’s our last stop and I don’t have any reason to hide anymore… I’m myself again,” he explained, running his fingers through the red strands. “Had you got used to the dark brown?”

Veronica couldn’t help the smile on her face. “No. This suits you better.”

And she finally understood, she finally got it. So, she moved past him, to leave him alone in the training room, turning around to look at his confused expression once she was at the door. “Could I speak to you later? In private?”

He frowned, but then snorted a laugh. “Private? I thought that didn’t exist here. Three other people in the ship, remember?” he joked, throwing her old words back at her.

“I think you know there’s one place people aren’t allowed to go to,” Veronica muttered, and then left before she could second guess her actions, before she could see his dumbfounded expression.

She showered, and spent what felt like an eternity pacing around her quarters, feeling the glow of the Antiope nebula bathing the walls in a warm blueish hue. Had she made a mistake? Had she confused fleeting lust for something more? Veronica felt so incompetent, so unsure of herself unlike any other time. But then came a soft noise against the metal doors of her chambers. An echo she could feel in her chest. She heaved a shuddering breath and pressed the biolock to open the door.

There stood Archie, in his fighting uniform, black from head to toe, just like when they met for the first time except for his jacket.

She moved to the side and motioned for him to get in. Locking the door, Veronica sighed quietly, praying she could find her voice and not regret what she really wanted to do.

“You wanted to speak to me,” he said, as he looked to the swirling clouds of the nebula before them. He looked more regal if possible, untouchable to some point under those lights, but Veronica approached him with care.

“Not really,” she whispered once she was at his side, turning her face to look into his eyes when his eyes fell on her. “I lied.” She twisted her body completely to face him. “To you, and myself,” she added as she lifted her hands to cup his face delicately, afraid of the possibility of losing him between her fingers.

“Ronnie,” he muttered, his hot breath caressing her skin, tickling her lips.

“I don’t want to talk,” she admitted. “Could we not?” His hands curled around her waist, keeping her in place as she fought against self-doubt. She rose on tiptoes and pressed her lips to his, feeling as he took a sharp intake of air before his hands snuck up to cradle her face, to kiss her properly.

Her fingers played with his hair as he angled his face to kiss the corner of her mouth. She shivered as he pressed a kiss to her chin, and then trapped her lips between his, gently tugging at her bottom lip.

Veronica’s hand sneaked down, tugging at his shirt, sneaking under it, to feel the warmth of his skin, the shape of hard muscles. Archie gasped.

“Are you fine with this?” her eyes frantically searched for his approval, for a sign before she made a fool of herself.

He pressed her forehead to hers, sighed softly. “Yes. I want this. You.” But before he could speak again, she silenced him with another kiss while she pulled at his shirt, hands exploring each inch of skin she could uncover, while he worried about holding her close to kiss her.

Archie finally stepped back and freed himself from his shirt, extending a hand to bring her close and then he got rid of her shirt. His hands caressed up her waist to her breasts as he buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent, kissing her skin. She wrapped her arms around him, one arm around his back and the other hand instinctively going up to hold the back of his head.

Maybe it was all in her head, but she was sure she could hear the loud and powerful beating of his heart against hers as he lifted her up, his hands sliding back down to grab the back of her thighs as he led her legs around his waist to carry her to bed. She kissed the spot behind his ear, nuzzling the soft hair before he gently laid her on her back.

As promised, he didn’t utter a word as he delicately took her shoes, and then hooked his fingers on the waist of her pants to undress her. Archie allowed his eyes to roam her body, before he placed a playful kiss to her ankle while looking into her eyes. And then he discarded his own clothes.

The colorful lights of the nebula against the planes of his chest, the hard muscles and his face – he was beautiful, and yet he looked at her as if she were the most precious thing in the universe. As if he were the lucky one.

Veronica knelt on the bed, reaching for his hand to touch him again, to pull him close.

He was about to kiss her when his eyebrows knitted together. And he opened his mouth to speak, but she stopped him before he could say anything. She pressed her lips against his, and led him onto the bed, on his back. Straddling him, she leaned forward, black hair shielding out the light and shrinking the universe to just them.

It should’ve surprised her how quickly they found their rhythm, but Veronica wasn’t. For once she allowed herself to let her shields down, to just feel. Without fear or second guesses, she let herself be vulnerable under Archie’s gaze and touch. Heavy hands against her skin as if it were velvet. No words.

She fell forward, gasping, and Archie smoothly rolled them over to be on top. He kissed as much of her body as he could, as if he could map it like that, saving memories of her and stealing pieces of her for him to keep. She arched her back and finally spoke out loud.

“Archie,” she gasped into the heavy silence.

He leaned closer, one hand next to her head bracing his weight as the other pushed her hair off her face to look at her. He then took hers and pressed it to his chest, a wild beating that was deafening. Just like hers.

 

 

There was a pleasant tingling feeling on her scalp when she woke up. She also noticed her pillow of choice was warm and firm, and currently playing with her hair. Veronica sighed and used the hand thrown over his stomach to trace one of Archie’s tattoos. She didn’t feel like talking yet, and hooked one of her legs over his to turn more onto her side.

The edges of the nebula were now casting a more purplish light.

“Ronnie?” Archie muttered, but she refused to acknowledge him, and kept her gaze on the black ink that adorned his chest. They were still naked but that didn’t seem to bother either of them. “We need to talk.”

She breathed noisily through her nose, upset about him trying to make sense of everything. “We don’t.”

“Come on,” he insisted.

“Stop it,” she grumbled, scowling at the taut muscles of his stomach. But he tried again and that was enough for her to push herself upright, climbing off the bed past him. “I said no!” she exclaimed as she picked up her tank top, slipping it over her head. Frantically looking for her underwear and putting those on too before she was pulled by the elbow.

“Ronnie,” Archie called once more with eerie calmness in his voice. Still, she refused to look at him. “Please, just look at me.”

“No.” Veronica turned around and felt her eyes water. “Don’t say whatever it is you want to say. We slept together. That’s it.”

“You want me to ignore how I feel for you?” His golden-brown eyes searched for clues on her face.

“Yes.” Veronica clenched her jaw, even if her eyes started to burn with unshed tears.

“I can’t, Veronica.”

“Try harder, then.” She moved away from him. “Accept it, because no matter what, there’s no you and I. Whatever the priestesses tell you, you go back to Terridine, and I’m back on my ship to wherever my job leads me.”

“Is it that or you just want to get rid of me?” Archie spoke through his teeth, clearly upset. And maybe it was better if that happened. If he was angry at her, then it’d be easier to let go. “It doesn’t change that I–“

“That you what?” She snorted a sarcastic laugh. “You know what happens to the people I care about? To the ones who care about me? I have no one! And I’d like to keep it that way because it’s easier than being hurt.” She used the back of her hand to wipe at the tears falling down her cheeks, furiously as they kept pouring out. “You should shut up now. Just leave. It was fun, and I hope you enjoyed it since it was your first time.” Her voice broke at the corners, and Archie’s expression was crestfallen. “Please, leave.”

When she turned away from him, she heard the firm, “No.” Her blood boiled in fury, and she couldn’t really help it, so she indignantly started to gather his clothes, pushing them against his chest once she finished.

“Get out.” She opened the biolock and used both hand to shove him out of her quarters, completely naked.

Jughead was standing only a few feet away eating something from a bowl, gaping at the two of them. “Sorry?” the cyborg mumbled around his full mouth.

Veronica scoffed, but almost laughed when Archie tried his best to cover his front, flushing from head to toe as his friend took in the image before him. “I don’t appreciate indecent exposure, Archiekins. No matter how hot your ass is, so go get dressed. We’re just a few hours away from Gratian, and I’m sure you shouldn’t be naked when we make it to holy land.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I don't believe this was unexpected (it was bound to happen at some point) yet, it doesn't mean they are together because let's face it, Veronica has emotional baggage and it's something she needs to work on.
> 
> Also, I haven't replied to the comments and I'm soooo sorry, but maybe you appreciate more having a new chapter than me babbling about what's to come and how much I truly enjoy knowing you like this story (which I do!)


	8. Broken and Safe

The group, minus Veronica, was gathered in the central room of the ship – through a few corridors, it connected the whole ship, and it had become some sort of reunion hall for them now that Veronica wasn’t the only passenger. Before their fortuitous journey, it had been just a room, the most useless, if Veronica was being honest.

“Dress code?” Toni repeated after Betty told them that they would need to change now that they had finally landed in Gratian. The tinkerer seemed to be annoyed, and slightly surprised about this information. “Why would we need to follow a dress code? We’ve come all the way here, having gone through fighting, being kidnapped, and almost killed. Who cares what we wear?”

Archie was about to speak up when Veronica finally entered the room. The words died in his mouth, but it fell open as soon as his eyes landed on her. The rest of the group also kept quiet while looking at her.

“If we don’t want any more trouble, we have to follow the rules.” Veronica explained as she moved to the center of the room, lifting the skirts of her dress so she could move more comfortably. “And the rules say, we have to wear white clothes to symbolize the purity of our souls. So, they can judge us and determine if it’s true that we are as immaculate as our clothes promise we are, and worthy of them telling us about our fates.” When she noticed that Archie’s mouth was still handing open, Betty and Toni giggled, and Jughead rolled his eyes dramatically, Veronica sighed heavily. “What?” she asked, fidgeting in her place.

The white flowy dress wasn’t something she’d wear often – she would’ve avoided it, if she could, but she was a religious person. She had been taught about the Zamt faith, and she wasn’t about to offend the priestesses by strutting into a temple in dirty boots and fighting gear. The jewelry was mandatory for royals, since they were forbidden to hide their titles.

Her hands toyed with the silver beads that decorated the waist of the dress.

“Purity,” Jughead scoffed, breaking the silence. “Is there anyone pure right now in this universe? I mean, Archie just lost his last ounce of purity, so what’s the point?” He tried to be funny, but instead of chuckles, he received Toni and Betty shocked expressions, turning wide eyes at Veronica. Archie was blushing as he scratched the back of his neck.

Veronica wasn’t about to let him win this one. Not that she was ashamed of having sex with Archie – she couldn’t. She just hoped their moment had been as especial for him as it had been for her. “Maybe you can show you actually have a soul, you grumpy bucket-head.”

Jughead frowned, but said nothing more about it. His expression grew somber. “Would they even consider me human enough? Because old religious people don’t think so.” He folded his arms over his chest. It might have seemed like he had everything under control, like he couldn’t care about what people thought of him, but the truth was different. Jughead cared about how he fit in the world, not because of him, but for Betty and Archie. He wanted to be part of their lives, but not be a burden.

“If you behaved humanly enough… I guess even I’d consider it.” Veronica turned around, ready to leave the room.

Toni chuckled, but soon told them she didn’t have any white clothes to follow them into the temple. Fortunately, Veronica was close to her size and her clothes would have to do.

Everyone wanted to visit Fari. Not many reached those lands in their lifetimes. It wasn’t only an expensive trip, but also slightly terrifying. Who was willing to make the questions about the future and live with those answers? They were never written in stone, of course. It was a chance, you had to be careful about. Also, the priestesses were said to never give you a proper answer, but a description of a vision of what they saw for your life.

As the gate opened, Veronica felt the hot and dry air of the Fari desert. It would be hard to walk under the blazing sun for an hour, but not much worse than what they had been going through for the last couple of moon-months. Besides, Veronica feared the destination more than the journey. Once the priestesses told her father that his ambition would eat him alive, that he’d lose more than he could ever achieve – and they had been right. Hiram hadn’t trusted them, but they hadn’t failed.

In white, Jughead’s glowing circuit seemed dull. He looked more vulnerable, but it might’ve had to do with the fact that they were so close to their goal, and yet so far from the certainty of a future at the same time. Jughead offered Betty his hand as they abandoned the ship, gently leading her onto the red sands that covered Gratian. Betty’s white satin dress and sheer cape seemed to blend with the milky tone of her skin. The princess from Omia also looked forlorn as her hand linked with Jughead’s.

More resolute, Toni followed them in the skintight outfit she had chosen from Veronica’s wardrobe. Her heavy boots sunk in the sand as she reached the end of the ramp. Maybe she had less to lose, but that didn’t mean Toni wasn’t worried about the outcome of the trip. Whether they liked it or not, they had bonded over their experiences, and it was hard knowing they would soon return to their old lives.

“Ronnie,” Veronica heard Archie’s soft voice at her side, and her eyes, that had been glued to her new friends, closed tightly as she felt his proximity. “Ronnie,” he called again in a pleading tone, so she turned her head around to see him.

Both were standing at the edge of the ramp, almost ready to leave – and both felt nervous, a wave of dread washing over.

Archie’s hands cradled her face, firmly so he was sure she was looking into those warm amber eyes. And she wished he didn’t put his feelings in plain sight, that she couldn’t see his fear, his pain and that tenderness that was breaking her heart.

“If this is the last moment of true freedom I have–“

“Archie,” she tried, in a feeble attempt to stop this confession. But she wanted to hear him, to know if she was right about how he felt about her. Veronica wanted to know she wasn’t losing her mind, seeing things that weren’t there, having her shattered heart breaking all over again.

“I want to spend it with you. I don’t want to regret having kept everything inside, so please, _please_ let me tell you that I love you,” he told her in a desperate tone, as her hands curled around his wrists, this time not to shove him away but to ground him before he could vanish. “That I wish I had met you years ago, to have been able to enjoy your humor, your wit, to hear your voice and see your eyes, kiss your lips. Please know that I wish nothing more than to be free, because I choose you.”

Surely Archie was expecting an equally heart-wrenching confession on her behalf, but there was a lump in her throat, and her knees were about to give out as she felt herself tremble. Veronica did what she could, so she cupped his face in her hands and pulled him into a kiss with enough fire to brand him, so he could never forget her. Archie’s arms wrapped around her, keeping her close as they breathed each other’s air, until their lungs burned, until they felt light headed while their hearts raced.

Veronica stepped back first, smoothed her dress, and called for Vegas as she started to make her way down the ramp. The cyberdog followed her, and paused as she turned around to look at a stunned prince Archimedes. She silently beckoned him to follow, and once he was at her side, and the Diamond Dove was locked, she said,

“You know why I can’t tell you what you want to hear from me.” Her voice was as small as he could’ve ever heard it.

But Archimedes nodded. “You’re scared.”

No. She wasn’t scared. She was terrified. And this was one of the questions she desperately needed an answer for: was she cursed to lose all of that she loved?

 

 

The walk to the gates of the temple of Fari had been grueling. The heat, the weight of their footsteps in the sand and the tension were unbearable. But they made it. The first entrance had heavy wooden doors with bronze details that shone almost blindingly with the sun. But it was completely open, ready to welcome visitors – the first circle only closed during war time. It had been deemed a safe place for everyone who sought refuge.

The second level of the temple consisted on some merchants and pilgrims buying offerings to please the Goddess Gyden. The second doors opened to those who believed. Half-consumed candles framed the way into the temple, where only few could enter if they carried the appropriate offering, if they dressed respectfully, and more importantly, if they were accepted by the priestesses.

Veronica stepped in front of the group. Her once white shoes had now speckles of red sand that bothered her in some sense – like her past, no matter how hard she tried, she’d never be truly free of marks.

Two muscular men stood at each side of the heavy doors. Their dark skin glistened under the unforgiven heat, their hard muscles looking more menacing as they scowled at the people approaching. It was said the guards of Fari were the only men allowed to live in the planet Gratian permanently, that they followed the orders of the priestesses and were the favorite among men, chosen to fulfill the highest honor. It had been implied these men were also chosen to father priestesses, but no one had ever had enough proof.

“Wow,” Toni babbled, arching an eyebrow as she eyed the two guards in cream colored linen pants, khopesh swords in hand and a golden belt around their waists. The curved blade of the swords shone as they moved closer to each other to block the door. “They are hot,” she mumbled, which made Veronica smirk as Betty shushed their female companion.

“Who comes to Gyden and what are their intentions?” asked the slightly shorter one, commanding voice booming past them.

Archie tried to step in front of Veronica, a seemingly instinctive reaction to the threat in front of them, but Veronica stopped him before he could get them in trouble.

“We humbly come for the Goddess’ advice.” She took the velvet bag she was carrying, taking the golden coffee pot from it and showing it to the guards. “We’re nothing but lost souls in need of guidance. We’d be grateful for a piece of wisdom to enlighten our way. Our future.” Veronica returned the pot to the bag and handed it to the guard.

“Mad Dog,” the man said to the other, passing the bag. “Take it to them. I’m sure they are already waiting.”

The guards kept their dark eyes on them, but fortunately neither of them flinched under the inquisitive and menacing gazes.

The minutes passed as slowly as they could possibly go, sun burning their skins, weighing on them and trapping them as if in an invisible cage. They couldn’t escape now. This was it, their fate was awaiting.

Finally, Mad Dog, returned. His heavy steps and the khopesh attached to his left hip making him look more terrifying if possible. “They agree. You’ve been granted permission to step into the Goddess’ womb. Welcome to safety.”

They took to steps forward as the guards moved to let them pass, but before they could take a third one, the two khopesh swords crossed before them blocking their way.

“Remove your shoes,” the first one ordered. “And the beast stays outside.”

And so they did, once Veronica and Archie scratched Vega’s head and ordered him to wait. As their feet landed on the red tiles that covered the floor of the temple, they realized even the ground was warm, but the air was much cooler inside. In the distance, they could hear water running somewhere along the walls, as if it bathed the place to form a sheer barrier from the outside.

“Follow our voice,” a young feminine and joyful voice travelled through the temple, bouncing off the pillars.

“You can never get lost when the Goddess guides you,” said another in a slightly deeper tone.

“It’s your destiny to find answers,” finished a third one, becoming clearer as they walked forward, climbing up a flight of stairs.

When they crossed an ogee arch, they saw three women sitting in high chairs, all dressed in white and gold, all with long dark hair.

“Welcome to the home of Gyden,” they greeted at unison, but the one in the middle stood up as soon as she could. She had lighter eyes than the other two, and seemed more excited about the visitors. She rushed to them, and only then the other two followed.

“I’m Midge,” said the one who reached them first. Her long straight hair fell to her elbows. “These are Ginger,” she pointed to the one to her right, with wavy hair. “And Tina,” she motioned to her left to the tallest woman, with hair in long braids.

“We guard the secrets Gyden has reserved for you. So choose wisely, since you have only one chance each,” Tina warned them, as Veronica fidgeted under Midge’s gaze.

“She’s here!” Midge squealed. “The Nightfall of Malina. My mother warned about the outcome of the Arawath wars, did you know?”

Tina and Ginger rolled their eyes. “We know.”

Veronica felt more uncomfortable now, but fortunately Archie interrupted the young priestesses before they could keep on talking about Malina, and how everything had been warned from the beginning.

“I come here to ask you about my future. I need to know–“ he paused, his eyes falling on Veronica at his side, feeling a lump in his throat, but swallowing the fear so he could finally word his doubts. “What is waiting for me in my marriage? Will it be fruitful and peaceful? Is it meant to be in order for us to keep the people safe?”

“You’ll keep people safe, Prince Archimedes,” said Ginger. “It’s written. You are the protector of Verdaleir, and nothing will change that.”

“You are to find the Fire Star. The reborn,” added Tina.

Everyone in the group stayed quiet. It was thought the Fire Star was a myth, mostly a story told from parents to children about the sun that would bring luck to Sirteans. A reborn star, an impossible.

“Your marriage will be the happiest of them all!” suddenly interrupted Midge, and this innocent statement broke four hearts in one breath. “You’re meant to be. A union of long lost stardust, part of the same supernova. Your union is holy, and nothing will be strong enough to keep you apart.”

Betty stepped forward, eyes brimming with unshed tears, as Veronica took a step back to hide her heartbroken expression. “Am I supposed to agree to this? Will I be fine with this decision?”

The priestesses frowned. “You’ll be the strongest supporter,” said Ginger. “You are to birth children who will claim a throne, despite the adversity. You will reign. Your people will adore you, and be the happiest they could ever be.”

“Am I cursed?” Veronica mumbled in a small voice, before she could lift her head. Her tone trembled at first, but then rage took over and she spat with venom, “Am I cursed to lose everything I love?”

“No,” Tina replied firmly, but with softness in her expression. “You are being tested. You needed to prove yourself worthy of the biggest blessings. You’re not only wanted and loved, but needed. You’re part of the greatest love. The Goddess has you in her plans.”

Balling her hands into fists, Veronica felt a small hand on her shoulder. Toni was there to offer comfort, to hold her hand as the universe seemed to fall in heavy pieces all around them. Had they come all this way to find out they had been fighting the inevitable all along?

Betty was wrapped in Jughead’s arms, inconsolable. She clung to him, the last piece of sanity in the young princess’ life. It seemed unfair that after so short blissful time, they were all bound to spend an eternity of unhappiness – all because the universe needed it.

“What part am I playing in this game?” Jughead muttered, his arms around Betty, letting her bury her face in his shoulder so she could quiet her sobs.

“You’re an ally. The strategist for what’s to come. You are needed to face the battle started by those who don’t understand your purpose,” Ginger offered, looking into his eyes. “You are a leader. An unlikely one, but you’ll rise to the challenge when it comes.”

“What about me?” Toni wondered in a more defying tone. She put her best tough look on and squared her shoulders.

Midge giggled. “Antoinette Topaz, you are the Queen’s protector! You are the reason why they have found their way. Without you, they would never be. You’re the bravest soldier, daughter of Gyden. You’re one of us.”

Toni’s eyes widen, as Veronica’s, who looked confused.

“You mean, Toni is a priestess?” Veronica asked.

“By blood,” Ginger replied. “But she never reached us by the time her training must’ve started.”

“Each year, girls are chosen to join us. When Malina was destroyed, we lost track of Antoinette,” Tina continued. “But our sister has returned.”

“Fuck no! No way I’m staying here with those two meatheads outside. Mad Dog, and whoever the other one is,” Toni spat.

Ginger scoffed. “Michael and Charles are our protectors.”

“Puppies, really,” Midge added, silly smile in place. “Loveable and cuddly.”

Veronica and Toni arched matching eyebrows.

“I give a shit about your guards, and rules, and whatever twisted riddles you are trying to tell us,” Archie interrupted in the angriest voice anyone had ever heard from him. After having stepped away from the group, he strode back and stood before the priestesses in an almost menacing way. His tough façade quickly melted into despair. “How am I supposed to ignore how I feel? How can I forget?”

“Archie,” Veronica pled. When his honey eyes looked at her, she felt a pang in her chest.

“I’m sorry,” Midge said softly. “But you are already married in the eyes of the Goddess. Not before the men’s rules, that aren’t important to the universe, but to Gyden, your heart has already been bound to your soulmate for eternity. If you need a ceremony to be performed in front of the eyes of men, you could do it.”

“Yes,” Tina intervened after exchanging a look with Ginger. “And you can take Midge with you to witness it in behalf of Gyden.”

“What?” Midge squeaked, very surprised.

“Think about it as a… vacation, sister,” Ginger said, trying to sound sweeter than what she actually meant. “It’s such an amazing chance for you to share your story with strangers, tell them all about being the daughter of a long line of priestesses… over and over again.”

Jughead rolled his eyes. It was clear they wanted to just get rid of the energetic and bubbly Midge, since she was seemingly more than a bit annoying to them. He could only imagine what it was like to live with the same people for years, after spending only a couple of moon-months in the Diamond Dove with his group of friends.

“I guess I could offer my blessing to your marriage, Prince Archimedes,” Midge replied in a meek voice. “But I’ve never left Gratian before. I was born here, as my mother, and her mother.” She sighed as her big eyes studied the faces in the room. “Forgive us, if we have upset you, but it’s the best we could do to answer your questions.” Her small hands toyed with the golden bracelets around her wrists.

“Choose a guard—“ started Ginger, before Tina interrupted her.

“Take Michael, sister.” Tina fidgeted when her sisters looked at her with questioning eyes. “Charles must stay since he’s got more seniority.” No one bought the small lie, but they agreed. Tina seemed relieved to not had been caught, even if she fidgeted while speaking.

They were send back to the Diamond Dove, with a nervous Midge and a frightening Mad Dog to be added to their group. All of them heartbroken.

Veronica tried to reach for Archie’s hand, but he couldn’t take it. How could he forget about her later if he kept on having pieces of her added to the memory? How could he survive the pain of losing her?

It felt like everything had already been taken from them, even their hearts.

 

 

Once in the ship, they all went separate ways and changed into their everyday clothes. Toni’s heavy combat boots echoed through the ship with each step, and Midge’s big wide eyes hadn’t stopped moving around, trying to take everything in.

“Is this a regular ship?” asked the young priestess. “Are all ships like this?”

“Most,” replied Toni, shrugging a shoulder. “Are all priestesses like you? Are you all bound to a man?”

“Priestesses aren’t bound to men. We are connected to the Goddess, we share one love. Universal love,” Midge beamed while looking at Mad Dog, who seemed shy but very close to her. “We love men and women, because it’s the way we experience the energy of the universe.”

“Oh,” Toni muttered and watched as Midge caressed the side of Mad Dog’s face. “ _Oh_. So, you’re not virgin priestesses?”

Midge and Mad Dog snorted a laugh. “No,” they replied at the same time.

“How would we get the energy of the universe if we were?” Midge asked. “Haven’t you felt the pull of Universal love?”

Toni smirked. “Believe me, I have, sister.”

It was then when Veronica returned, wearing her black skin-tight pants, tank top and heavy boots. Her hair had been tied back into a ponytail, and gone was the jewelry. She noticed how Toni opened her mouth at her sight, but wasn’t able to say anything. And at the moment, Veronica didn’t want to be consoled. Time might be able to heal her – it would take years again, after opening old wounds and getting new ones, but the pain would become a dull ache. An ever-present reminder of what loving and losing felt like.

“Where are Jughead and Betty?” Veronica asked as she took her position in the cockpit, thankful only Toni ventured there.

“I think they need some time off,” Toni simply replied, as she sat in the copilot position.

Betty had been quietly sobbing her way back. Jughead looked angry, but also hurt. It had been a terrible moment for them to have their hopes destroyed like that, but Veronica could not accept for them to be selfish in this moment. Now it was time to put an end to this pain as swiftly as possible.

“Smithers,” Veronica called.

“Yes, Miss Veronica.”

“Set route to Nignita, Terridine.”

“ETA is five days, with the activation of the deuterium transporter during two vortex tunnels to avoid pull into gravitational forces,” Smithers replied matter-of-factly. “Is this approved?”

“Confirm route. Start now.”

Veronica was standing out, ready to leave to her chambers to spend her time alone. Maybe she could play with Vegas and cuddle with the cyberdog before he too left her. It’d truly be a lonely ship once they left. But before she could step out of the cockpit, Smithers spoke again.

“Miss Veronica, Miss Toni. I detect hostile behavior in proximity, ships from Eritiem approaching.”

“How long before they reach us?” asked Toni just as the ship rattled, forcing Veronica to sit back down as they heard Midge yelping in fear.

“Now. They have engaged into fire. Left wing has been hit. No major damage.”

Veronica scowled. “Yeah, no shit. Activate shields. Ready fighting positions.”

“As you wish, Miss Veronica.”

Veronica hurried to the main room as she started to shout orders. “Toni, you’ll need to man the cockpit, there’s a laser canon you’ll have to use and aim the best you can.” She noticed Jughead and Betty rushing into the room. “Jughead, take the blaster of the east wing. And princess, stay with the priestess and Mad Dog – I need you to keep them out of the way.” Betty nodded frantically as Archie stepped in front of Veronica right then. “Do you know how to shoot, Prince?”

“Yes. And I’m in the mood to blow things up.” They exchanged a brief look that made them smirk. There was so much potential lost between them.

“West blaster, Archiekins. I’ll take the back.” She dashed through the corridor, “Time to take the new tritium railguns for a spin!” Veronica sat into the chair the had a view of the back of the ship. The weapon system had four independent mechanisms for each wing, which in case of attack, allowed the Diamond Dove to always have chance. “Ready?”

“Set!” Jughead shouted through the com-system.

“Go!” Toni said right before Archie started shooting an approaching ship. The red W-shaped ship exploded to become dust and metal in an orange cloud. “Nice shot, Red.”

“Why are we being attacked?” Archie asked.

“I wonder why it hadn’t happened before,” Jughead spat as he started shooting. He growled as he finally managed to shoot down a Black-65, one-manned ship from Omia.

“Status update, Smithers,” Veronica said as she removed the safety and the screen showed her the railguns were ready to be used.

“Eritiem and Omia have sent approximately fifty Command-W and Black-65 ships of which forty-eight remain,” Smithers was saying when Veronica shot one more ship down. “Forty-seven. They claim the attack is justified since Veronica Lodge, outlaw and queen of the extinct planet Malina, has abducted Princess Elizabeth and Prince Archimedes.”

“That’s bullshit!” Toni screamed.

It was, but Veronica could imagine why the Blossoms were interested in having Betty and Archie married. Since Betty would marry Archimedes, that meant the youngest princess would leave Omia, and Polly would need to step as Queen, even if she married Jason, the rightful heir of Eritiem. This basically left the control of two planets to the Blossom twins, making them more powerful and leaving them in the brink of having an empire.

Omia had probably agreed to the plan as to not ruin the image of Betty. The people would always question why she had runaway. But it seemed interesting Terridine hadn’t joined the searching party.

They were hit a few more times, each rattled the ship and made them curse under their breath. Veronica was not happy to see her ship being destroyed, and she could only hope they could at last make it back to Nignita so she could repair it and get back on track – the Diamond Dove was her only home, and she wasn’t about to lose it.

“We’re surrounded,” Toni informed to the other three shooters. “We have been effective, but there’s no way we can beat them. It’s one big ship against the remaining thirty-eight. They are faster! And the energy is depleting. We won’t have enough to make it back.”

Veronica clenched her jaw. “There’s one way to make us faster and save some energy, T.”

“What?”

Thinking quickly, Veronica leaned back on the seat. “Buckle up, everyone!”

“V, what are you thinking about?”

“Toni, just fly this thing the best you can. The rest of us will keep shooting away.” Veronica took a deep breath and then said, “Smithers, deactivate gravity system.” As this happened, they heard a heavy hit when the ship shot up once the gravity inside the ship was turned off.

“Fucking hell!” Jughead complained. He had hit the ceiling of the blaster capsule.

The other three chuckled. “Told you to buckle up, Jughead.”

Without the internal gravity pull, the ship was easier to maneuver and they could also save energy that they would later need in their trip to Nignita. Veronica could only hope they would survive long enough to make it there.

Thanks to Toni’s skills as pilot, they manage to move behind a group of ships, but they were still in disadvantage. It was near impossible to escape.

“They won’t kill us, right?” Betty’s voice interrupted through the com-system. “They need us.”

“Technically, they don’t,” Archie answered in an uncharacteristic plain voice. “The Blossoms will have control of not only Eritiem and Omia, if you die, but since Omia is second in the line of Verdaleir’s leadership, Polly and therefore Jason would be next in line after my father. If I die, they’ll have everything.”

Veronica finally understood. This was for more than an empire. In this moment, the peace of the entire system was at stake.

“Then we won’t die,” Veronica said. “I’m not ready for that.”

“Yeah, well, we don’t have backup, so it’s looking pretty bad,” Jughead offered, now finally attached to his seat.

Right in that moment, through the view of her position, Veronica saw five ships being blown to pieces. And that was impossible with the weapons they had. The Diamond Dove didn’t carry shrapnel for attacks like that.

“Miss Veronica, there’s an incoming message for the captain of the Diamond Dove. Do you wish to accept it?” Smithers asked as once again some other ships in their proximity exploded.

“Yes.”

There was a second of silence before a deep voice filled the cabin.

“This is Frederick Andrews, King of Terridine and Commander of the HMS White Star. We’re here to lead you back to Nignita, safe and sound.” Leave it to Fred Andrews to save the day.

Veronica was able to hear the soft whisper of Archie as he said, “Father.” And she decided it was in their best interest to let them speak directly.

“Smithers, connect Prince Archimedes to King Frederick,” she ordered, quickly receiving a confirmation. “Speak, Archiekins.”

“Father?”

“Son,” they were able to hear a lilt of relief in the older man’s voice. “I trust you’re fine?”

“I am. Thank you for coming to our rescue. But, how would you know where I was?” Archie sounded more like a boy than ever before, and it was endearing.

A soft chuckle resonated through the communications system. “Vegas has been sending me reports of your whereabouts and health status during your… time away.” Everyone who could hear the message was stunned into silence. “Now, is everyone ready to go home?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the longest chapter to date, and I'm sad to say we only have one chapter left for this story. 
> 
> I know I might get some complaints about this chapter, but trust me. Here are more hints to what's coming than you can see at first glance. Don't lose hope, and remember a king has just saved the day.


	9. Read The Stars, My Queen

The HMS White Star was one of the largest ships in the system. It was not only a warship, but a carrier able to transport up to a hundred fighter ships of the Gyrfalcon type, a classic for the Sirteans. It was massive, and when the Diamond Dove landed in the workshop, Veronica felt like a child for the first time in many years. When the first mechanic tried to lay a hand on her ship, she slapped it away – no one touched her home without her permission.

But soon Frederick Andrews himself was before them, followed by a group of people that was leading them away to medical bay, the control room or anywhere far from the shipyard. They were separated, Archie following his father and matching the older man’s long strides. Meanwhile, Veronica ended up in a clean and luminous room, alone with a bed ready for her if she wanted to rest, but all she could do was pace around it. That was until a soldier came for her. The King of Terridine had summoned her to his office.

She never knew what to expect – it would’ve been justifiable if Fred charged her with some crimes. After all, she was a smuggler, and part of job description was to work in the black market, hiding in the grey areas of morality. But more than that, she had helped his son escape and travel across the system under a false name.

To her surprise, King Frederick Andrews was waiting for her in his black uniform, his rank clear on the golden stars embroidered in the collar of his jacket. He had a soft smile on his face.

“Hello, Veronica. Welcome to the HMS White Star. I apologize for not greeting you properly before,” he said in a calm voice as he offered her a seat. Behind him there was a beautiful view of the space as they made their way back to Terridine.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” she replied, but refused taking a seat. Her composure was frayed, and she wouldn’t be able to stay still.

“Forgive me,” he replied with a calmness that helped her breathe again. “Would you allow me to call you Veronica, Your Royal Highness?”

Veronica snorted a laugh. “I’ve never been called anything nicer than my own name since…” she trailed off, somewhat afraid to offend him by recalling the destruction of her planet to his hands.

Fred nodded thoughtfully, humming in agreement. Unlike conquerors, who would more likely than not mock her for her loss, he seemed somber at the memory. He was the protector of the system, not a man looking to expand his realm. It matched her mood. She disliked to think about that day – she purposely ignored her birthday for the same reasons. There was nothing left to celebrate after all.

“I’m sorry about how things came to be.” Fred lifted his gaze. He looked kind but tired, a softness behind eyes that had probably seen too much suffering in his life, and had inflicted some despite never wanting it. “I wish I could’ve done something else to stop your father, but–“

“It was impossible,” she finished for him. “I know. I knew him. With an idea in his mind, he would’ve never stopped, even if he had achieved that goal. Soon, he would’ve found something else he wanted.” She breathed in deeply, and as she let out the air, her shoulders dropped. “I was a child, and I was angry about it for a long time, but I’m aware he wasn’t kind or perfect. Even if to me, he was. Our people suffered, other planets were devastated. I know that now. As I know you couldn’t allow it. And it hurts, but I understand.”

A sad smile appeared on his face. “You’re very much like your mother.”

“Am I?” Veronica asked, allowing herself to smile as well. Hermione had never shared much about her past with her, but Veronica was aware her mother had been born in Terridine, daughter of King Frederick’s mother’s lady-in-waiting.

“Yes,” he breathed out, a wistful look on his face. “She was a wild spirit, always looking past the obvious, always wanting to see more of the universe.” He snorted a laugh. “She must’ve saved me from trouble more times than I can count when I was young. She was smart and beautiful, and I always thought she’d be the one at my side when I became king.”

“You and my mother?”

Fred nodded. “But like I said, she was smarter than me. Hermione knew we weren’t meant to be. It doesn’t mean I wasn’t hurt when Hiram asked for her hand, much less when her parents accepted.” He turned around to look into space, as if he could imagine the past. “Of course, that never translated into hate for her. I loved her and cared for her, even after your father forbade her of speaking to me. Even after she left, and I married to Mary. Hermione knew me best.”

“Knowing my mother, she might’ve been afraid of my father, but she would’ve found a way to keep contact if she wanted.”

“And she did.” Swiveling around, Fred gave her a small smile. “Which is why I’m happy to finally have you here.”

And Veronica was then able to see, to understand why she had been able to escape that day. She put the pieces together, understood why there had been a ship ready for an escape. “You warned her. About the attack. She knew, that’s why she sent me in that shuttle.”

“I begged her to escape with you,” Fred admitted. “But she refused, told me it would be suspicious and if there were any people loyal to Hiram left, it would be a risk for you. She loved you more than anything, which is why I promised her to take care of you.”

“But you weren’t there, I–“

“The Blossoms managed to take the shuttle before we were able to save you. They hid you from me,” Fred whispered in a saddened voice. “I was afraid of what they could do with you, that they were saying the truth when they told me you had been found dead, but insisting on finding you would’ve revealed my plan.”

“Which was?” Veronica asked carefully, taking two steps closer to Fred who reached for her hands to hold them gently in his. Leathery hands not proper of a king, but of a hardworking man, because he was both.

“Your mother agreed to promise your hand in marriage to my son. I wanted to bring you to Terridine so you and Archie could have time to know each other, to keep you safe.”

At that moment, Veronica could see everything under a different light. This was the reason why the Blossoms kept her hidden for long, why she hadn’t been allowed to claim anything. They didn’t want to reveal her whereabouts hoping to put their own plans into motion.

“And as time went by, as our heirs grew older, I had to cave in. I needed Archie to have someone at his side who he trusted, who would be kind to him.”

“And Betty was the best choice,” Veronica filled in the blank.

“I can’t undo this. And I’m sorry I’ve failed you, and your mother again.”

If this didn’t confirm that she was cursed to be alone, Veronica didn’t know what then. Her mother had planned a life of happiness and safety for her, only to be torn apart by the Blossoms’ scheming, only to be taken away and hidden, like a prisoner, for years until they _let_ her escape when the engagements had been chosen. If she had known, if she would’ve been saved… but her life hadn’t been that.

She forced herself to smile, and lifted her head to press a kiss to Fred’s cheek. “You saved me now, and you saved me then. Now I only need to ask for a small favor.”

 

 

Back in her guest room, her ogglep flower glowed softly in the night table. It would be a short trip back to Terridine on board of the royal ship, but she still preferred to be away from everyone. It would serve her to get used to her solitude again.

Fred had promised Veronica to repair the Diamond Dove as soon as they landed, and she was welcome to stay for as long as she needed, and also whenever she wanted. But she doubted she would ever returned after Archie and Betty’s wedding. Of course, the prince would never deny her the benefit of shelter, but it would be too painful for both of them.

There was knock on her door that startled her thoughts, and Vegas who had stayed with her to make her company. She couldn’t say she was exactly surprised to see Jughead standing before him, sporting the same expression she had. A mix of bitterness, sadness, and rage. It was the way of living for people who had been lied to, hurt and betrayed.

“So,” he mumbled. “What are your plans after this is over?”

Jughead moved past her, and stood in the middle of the room. He patted Vegas’ head, and the dog leaned closer.

“Go back to what I know best. It’s my way of living now.” Veronica sighed and leaned back against the wall, folding her arms over her chest. Vegas shot her a curious look.

“Do you mind to have a partner?” Jughead avoided looking at her eyes, and he shoved his hands in the pockets of his pants, the toe of his boot scuffing against the floor. He looked annoyed. “I cannot stay in Terridine.”

“I know.”

“So?”

Veronica snorted a laugh. “I just think it would be a nightmare to be alone with you in a ship for more than a few hours.”

“I’d go,” a feminine voice offered. Toni poked her head in, using her arms to hold each side of the door as she leaned forward. “You need me, after all. And I have nothing better to do.”

Jughead rolled his eyes, making a sound at those words, but Vegas barked happily. “You two would probably make my days a nightmare.”

“Yeah, right,” Toni mocked him. “You couldn’t fix your own cybernetic parts anyway, and we both know they need to be upgraded soon. We’re basically doing you a favor. And Veronica likes me better.”

At his, Veronica chuckled, watching her friends bickering. That made her think she had never thought of many people as friends, maybe just Kevin back in Terridine, and not much more. Was this how it felt to trust? She had been having such a hard time and now, out of a botched job, she had won people that cared about her, and she could care about.

“I expect to make more money, though. There’s no way I’m getting by selling scraps in Hadrian again, so you’ll have to help,” she warned them, making Jughead smirk at that.

“Hadrian? _Yuck_. Really?” Toni wondered. “Girl, I feel sorry for you. But I have a few friends that can help us, and we can surely make more money and maybe one day retire to Laluna at the edge of the system. It’s always summer there.”

“Too expensive,” Jughead complained. “And I hate the rich people that go there on vacation.”

The three of them laughed, because if they were about to be alone, they would be alone together.

 

 

Even if she had done a fantastic job avoiding Archie, with the help of Toni and Jughead, as they played interference – and doing the same for the latter and Betty – Veronica didn’t have much of a choice when they arrived in Terridine.

The Andrews castle in Nignita was a simple place full of life. Veronica could see plants and trees in every corner. Its famous garden held the Sirteans’ most prized possessions: fruit trees. Just by opening the window of her room, Veronica felt the fragrant scents of flowers wafting into every corner. It was quite different from her time spent in space, and she was sure it would’ve been a nice memory while growing up. But still, even surrounded by beauty, her heart ached. No amount of sweet fruit or savory vegetables could cure the sadness that invaded her when she saw Archie across the table as they ate. She could feel his gaze on her, but refused to acknowledge it.

The preparations for the wedding had started as soon as they had set a foot in Nignita. Betty’s parents were there waiting for their daughter, demanding for the rest of the party to be accused of treason, to be punished. King Frederick dismissed it, claiming they had only tried to be free once in their lifetime, and forming friendships in the process. Unsurprisingly, the Blossoms kept pushing for the subject, but they were ignored. Omia and Eritiem had been forgiven for attacking the Diamond Dove after they claimed innocence, and their good intentions – they said they only wished to save Prince Archimedes and Princess Elizabeth. It was clear that wasn’t the absolute true, but the King pardoned them in order to keep the peace.

“A war is not harmful to dynasties, but to the people. And I hope you keep that in mind,” he sentenced, before leaving the room.

Veronica could still feel Cheryl’s glare on her as she left the Royal Hall.

Now she walked through the market, followed closely by a Sirtean soldier who went by the name of Moose. Each one had been assigned a guard, in case the resentment drove someone to attack them when least expected. And even if the man was nice to look at, Veronica wasn’t thrilled about having anyone following her every step. Much less when she was about to enter the _Floresta_ , Kevin’s establishment.

“Your royal highness, maybe we shouldn’t be seen here,” Moose offered, but he cowered almost immediately when she glared his way.

“I will say this once. I have very little to do in this planet, but this not only I can do, but I like to. Kevin Keller, the owner of this place is perhaps one of my most trusted friends, so I’ll be here if I want to,” she made clear in a stern tone, and that turned the scene all that more humorous as she threatened the man that had almost a foot more than her on height. “I don’t like to be told what I can and cannot do.”

As usual, the place was packed and the air felt thick and heavy.

Veronica approached the bar in long strides, and ignored the looks of the patrons as she tried to figure out where Kevin was. She ordered a drink and soon there was a fluorescent blue liquid in front of her – she was kind enough to offer Moose to ask for something, but the soldier refused.

“You lied to me,” Veronica heard from behind her, and as she turned, she saw Kevin in his regal outfit, dark green with a tasteful silver edge on the lapels of his jacket. “You asked, what if you were royalty, and like a fool I wondered the same.”

She allowed herself to smile. “I am as much of a queen as you are.”

Kevin snorted a laugh, and then pulled her into a hug. It was tight and strong, and it felt like comfort. It was the certainty she had been missing. Even if her old life had been chaotic, she had some rocks in her life and Kevin was one of them. The foundations of who she was.

Taking her hand, he led her to the secluded table he kept for him and his guests in one corner of the room. He appreciatively eyed the soldier that accompanied her, asking about him with a subtle glance to Veronica, making her chuckle. He had a keen eye for handsome men, but always terrible luck to keep them in his bed.

Over a few drinks, a pitcher of ogglep water, and even some snacks, Veronica proceeded to tell him all about her adventure. Of course, Kevin worried first about her well-being, and cursed on the fact that she had encountered Reggie again. Even so, his true interest soon settled on the Prince of Terridine.

Making sure Moose was far enough from them to hear them whisper, Veronica leaned forward.

“What if I think he’s handsome, brave, and sweet? What if he happens to know how to shoot and fight and looks great while doing so?” Veronica shook her head. “He’s not mine to keep, and never was.”

“Do you still believe those stories? Aren’t royals supposed to do whatever they want?” Kevin hissed back.

“We’re supposed to serve our people. He serves to them by abiding to the traditions, and keeping Sirteans safe. Meanwhile, I do better by staying hidden and away. As it should be.” She leaned back, against the back of the chair, as she sighed.

“Do you love him?” Kevin asked softly, his eyes showing pity for her. “Have you allowed yourself to admit that?”

She made a derisive sound. “There are things better left unsaid. Things to keep buried so they don’t come back to haunt us and hurt us.”

“Veronica, darling.” Kevin reached forward, tucking a lock of her behind her ear. “What did you feel when it was said he had to marry? What do you feel when you see everyone making plans for a wedding that’s not yours?”

Veronica felt her eyes stinging. She opened her mouth once, and then twice before she managed to whisper, “Like I can’t breathe. As if my heart had a rope tightening around it.”

“And why is that?”

“Because I love him,” she babbled as big tears rolled down her cheeks. She wiped them away with the back of her hands, but they refused to stop from falling.

As a gentleman, Kevin produced a handkerchief and offered it to her. “I’m so sorry you’re having your heart broken, Vee. As a queen, and the woman you have made yourself to be, you deserve to be loved, like I’m sure he loves you.”

But as she hoped so, with Kevin things couldn’t end on a sad note that day, so he distracted her with other topics until he finally asked the question he’d be dying to made, was the soldier accompanying her single? And if that was the case, what was his name and when did his shift end?

 

 

The beautiful wooden screens that covered the windows of her room formed delightful patterns on the floor with the morning sunlight. Veronica could see stars and crescent moons, all of which had been carefully chosen for her – King Frederick had ordered to prepare a room that would belong to her all those years ago, and he had kept it in the same conditions. He had made sure to decorate it with ogglep flowers from the same kind as the one she carried on her ship, which made perfectly clear who had sent that gift for her birthday.

It would’ve been so easy to stay, and have a place to call home.

There was a knock on the door, and Veronica believed it to be one of the handmaidens that had cared for her over the past days. She had slept in again, and they always worried about her being well-fed.

“Yes?”

The door was pushed open, but instead of one of those girls with gentle smiles and quiet nature, she saw a very sad blonde princess. Betty’s bloodshot eyes revealed much more than any of them would’ve liked to admit.

“May I come in?” asked Betty.

“Sure,” Veronica sat up in bed, and her back stiffened for some reason. “Is there something I can do for you?”

Betty let out a long sigh before sitting down on Veronica’s big and comfortable bed. It barely dipped under the princess of Omia’s weight.

“I’ve came to ask for something I’m sure it’s too much, but I don’t have many people in my life that I trust. Much less people who cares about me for who I am, and not what I represent,” Betty’s light green eyes looked at Veronica with an expression of pain and despair. “Everyone is here to watch me marry Archie tomorrow. And I’ll lose the one I love, as Archie, and Juggie, and you.”

Veronica bowed her head and kept quiet.

“I’m sorry to ask for this, but I need you by my side.” Betty swallowed thickly, and her voice trembled. “I cannot do this on my own, and my mother and Polly, the pressure… I’m about to break and I have no one, so please, Veronica.”

Instead of answering, Veronica knelt on the bed and wrapped Betty in a hug, feeling as the princess held tight onto to her.

“I’m sorry for doing this to you,” Betty apologized as she cried in Veronica’s shoulder.

“This isn’t your doing. This has been done to us, and we couldn’t stop it. We couldn’t defy fate or duty, but we can try to make it easier for each other.” She breathed in deeply, keeping her tears for later when she could let out her pain alone. “I’ll be there for you.”

It might’ve been the worst outcome to become Betty’s maid of honor, to have a seamstress take measurements and fixing that gauzy peach-colored dress to fit Veronica. But she knew what meant to be alone, and Betty truly had no one now. Of course, that didn’t mean she was happy about it, and once she had been left alone in the room, Veronica let herself crumble down. It had been years since she cried so hard, since she felt her cheeks hot and her eyes burning. The salty water running down her cheeks chapped her lips.

Could she really do what she had promised? She had not much of an option. She had to do it, for Archie, Prince of Terridine. He could still be happy with Betty. After all, they were friends and that would save them. They would be kind, just and fair to their people and the Verdaleir system.

Next morning the heartache was living there, but the tears on her pillow had dried.

“Hey.”

Veronica looked up to find Toni wearing a silk purple robe, smiling bright until they locked eyes. Following her, Vegas trotted in and decided to claim the spot at Veronica’s feet – she rewarded him with a scratch behind the ears.

“How are you feeling?” the mechanic asked as she sat across from Veronica at the small table the handmaidens had set for breakfast in her chambers.

“Do I look that bad?” Veronica wondered as she popped a piece of fruit into her mouth.

“Worse,” Toni quipped, stealing a toast from the plate in the middle of the table. “But it’s exactly how I’d look if the love of my life was about to be married to someone else,” she added on a more serious voice.

Veronica’s lips twitched in an attempt to smile. There was a long day ahead of her. The wedding would take place midafternoon, when the two suns of Terridine were clear in the sky, which was thought as a blessing time. There were still hours to go, but she would have her hair and makeup done, get dressed to then help Betty.

Archie had mercifully almost disappeared, making himself be seen as little as possible since their arrival. And she never dared to ask, afraid to be tempted, to ask him to leave with her and never be found – she could do it, she would know how to get lost in the universe. But it was all daydreaming.

“You look very… recovered,” Veronica commented as she sipped from her tea. She wasn’t feeling hungry – she hadn’t for the last couple of days, and she wasn’t sure if she would be able to keep the food down today. But more than that, she didn’t want to keep thinking about her life.

Toni bit her lip and giggled, before she leaned forward. “I am. I’m feeling much better, and even more so after last night.” She pursed her lips before grinning. “I’ve always felt like I haven’t belonged, like I didn’t have a place where I fit, but I must say I do find the whole universal love thing appealing.”

“You slept with them,” Veronica offered, making Toni cackle. They had known each other for a brief time, but had learned to read their emotions quite well.

Vegas lifted his head at the sound of laughter.

“I did! And it was great.” It wasn’t only that Toni seemed happy, but she was honest about finally finding answers to some of her questions about her past and why she had been saved. “But it’s not only that fun night with Midge and Mad Dog, or how hot it was, but knowing that it’s okay for me to like them both and being accepted without questioning if it’s right. It wouldn’t be impossible for me to love them, if that was the case.”

“So, you have a place in the universe,” Veronica said, content knowing that at least someone in the group had had their happy ending. And Toni deserved it, after her effort and her help. She was a great friend. “I’m happy for you.”

But Toni reached for Veronica, placing a hand on the smuggler’s shoulder. “Hey, that doesn’t mean I’m going to live there. Gratian is not my kind of place, I wouldn’t be able to stand the boredom after this last adventure you got me wrapped into.”

“Don’t feel obligated to come with me. I want you to have a good life, full of happiness, and if that’s what you’ve found with Midge and Mad Dog, you shouldn’t let go of that, Toni.” Veronica smiled brightly. “I won’t drag you into my pity party,” she joked.

“It’s probably the best pity party in the universe, though. You know?”

Veronica laughed at Toni’s quip. “Just gush about them, I need to hear some good news.”

“Well, you already know Midge is pretty vocal, and kind of bossy, too! But Mad Dog? As threatening as he looks, he _is_ a sweet teddy bear and cuddly. With hard muscles, which is awesome.” Toni was candid about her story, and Veronica was able to enjoy the intimacy between friends.

As the two natives from Malina tried to keep normalcy in the conversation, time was running out. There was no way to turn back the clock. Veronica kept thinking that Jughead had promised the Diamond Dove would be ready for take-off as soon as the ceremony was over – he would be waiting, since he had refused to stand there and watch the love of his life be married to his best friend. She was a masochist apparently.

 

 

Betty was a beautiful and miserable bride. Her airy white dress shimmered under the light, her skin looked like porcelain, and her blonde hair had been pinned back, adorned by soft peach-colored flowers. And yet a smile couldn’t find its place on the princess’ face.

Same thing happened to Veronica as she handed the small bouquet of flowers to Betty. They were about to be needed in the Royal Hall, where the ceremony would take place in only half hour – half hour to end of a fantasy, the most bitter end of all of those they could’ve possibly imagined.

Their gestures were quiet, soft but tense, and for some reason each time they looked at each other, they seemed to beg for forgiveness.

Polly was the one who showed up at the door in a dress that was of the same color as the one Veronica wore, but the look of disdain on her face was completely out of place.

“It’s time, dear sister. Your groom awaits,” the now Princess and soon to be Queen of Eritiem spat, almost seeming to enjoy the way the other two women flinched.

Veronica helped Betty with the skirt of her dress as they walked the tortuous way to the hall. They might have been purposefully slower, or it was just their bodies betraying them, but the time seemed to have stopped, the silence was unbearable as most of the people were waiting for the wedding.

As the great wooden doors of the hall opened, Veronica saw Toni waiting for them, heaving a big sigh, almost as if she was relieved. Could they think they would escape? Flee from this wedding and just ignore the future of Verdaleir? The thought had crossed Veronica’s mind, but Archie’s big heart would never allow it.

Lifting her gaze, she finally saw him standing across the hall. His vibrant red hair was perfectly combed, and he wore his formal uniform as required – as Prince of the Sirteans, gold decorations had been embroidered to his jacket. He looked dashing, a beautiful man who deserved a blissful marriage.

Everyone in the hall turned to watch them, and Archie stood next to his father motionless. Fred would lead the ceremony, as it was tradition, so they needed his signal for Betty to start walking down to the front of the hall.

“I can’t,” Veronica muttered as she let go of Betty’s skirt. Betty’s head swiveled around just as Fred nodded from his place so they could continue their path. The bride looked not terrified, but like she had been expecting this scene.

“Veronica,” Toni mumbled, her eyes widening, but she never moved to stop her.

“I’m sorry. I can’t. I can’t lose him again,” Veronica managed to explain before she turned away, hurrying down the hall, running in that stupid dress that to the simple eye was light and beautiful, but in reality, was a nightmare to move with.

But as she ran, she missed when Midge stepped away from her place in the front row. Dressed in her red garments, especially made for rituals, her golden bangles clanked together as she stood in the middle of the path Betty was supposed to walk to meet her groom.

“What is this?” the priestess asked in outrage, her voice overpowering any other noise in the room. “Is this mockery to Gyden? To your Goddess? You invite me here to show me you have no respect for us?”

“Sister,” Fred tried, as he climbed down the steps to calm Midge. “Please, explain.”

“Why is she dressed as the bride? Why has the bride left?” She motioned towards the back of the hall, where Betty stood next to Toni

“What?” Archie breathed out, rushing to Midge, his hands grabbing her by the shoulders. “What are you saying? I asked you if my marriage was meant to be, and you said yes, that we were married, that our future would be happy.”

“Yes! You are married,” Midge insisted. “When you consummate your love before the Antiope nebula, you’re married to the eyes of the Goddess. Old rules say the nebula is the heart of Gyden, and she blessed you and the Princess of Malina. She was always meant for you, as you’re meant for her. She’s the reborn, Fire Star, the one thought lost during Nightfall, but burning bright next to you like the suns of Terridine.”

“Veronica,” Archie stuttered, feeling his eyes welling with tears. “Veronica is the one for me.”

“Yes. Haven’t you been paying attention?”

“Son,” Fred barely managed to say before he saw Archie running away in the direction Veronica had followed just moments before. But not before he stopped in front of Betty.

Archie sweetly cradled his childhood friend’s face. “We made a mistake, Betts.” His eyes shone with unshed tears, but he smiled as Betty’s green eyes widened. “We love the right people, and we should be with them. Go for Jug, because he will leave if you don’t stop him.”

“How can this be? Are you sure?” Betty couldn’t get over the surprise as Archie moved past her, as Toni grabbed her by the hand to lead her to the shipyard, to look for Jughead while the Prince of Terridine dashed through the halls of the castle.

This was his home, the one place in the universe he knew better than anyone. Every corner in which he hid as a child, every room he had played in. It didn’t matter where Veronica went, but he’d find her. He just had to stop her from leaving. That was why he stood in front of the only room he had been forbidden to enter before, right where Vegas was already waiting for him, almost asking what had took him so long.

“She won’t leave, I won’t let her,” Archie whispered for Vegas, who whined softly.

There were two crescent moons engraved on the double doors, facing each other, right above two suns bright and powerful. He thought about knocking, but his heart was beating too loud in his chest to stop for a response.

“Stop,” he muttered as he saw her dark hair falling down her shoulders. She had changed into her fighting gear, she was closing her bag.

“What are you doing here?” she mumbled when she turned around. Veronica’s beautiful face was streaked with tears, her long lashes stuck together.

“Veronica,” Archie begged, reaching for her, taking the bag from her hands.

“Don’t do this! You need to go back. Don’t leave Betty. Your people. I’m not–“ she stuttered like never before, and his heart broke for hurting her.

“I love you,” he told her once more. The truth, one more time. “And we were so blinded.” He heaved a big sigh, his hands curling around her waist and pulling her close. She fought him with little force, and felt how she finally settled for holding his wrists. “We wanted answers for the wrong questions.”

“What are you saying?”

Archie touched his forehead to hers, and closed his eyes. “That you’re mine. As I am yours. Forever. In every corner of the universe. You are my Fire Star, the Nightfall and the Rising Sun.” His lips almost touched hers. “The Goddess meant us. We are supposed to be together. Our marriage is blessed.” And he kissed her, with tenderness and desire, with longing and relief because the one he loved was finally back in his arms. He felt her hand touching his face, his hair. As they broke the kiss, her thumbs caressed his lips, her dark eyes looking into his.

“I love you,” Veronica whispered. “I love you, Archiekins.”

He kissed her again, taking her tight in his arms, and pulling her off the ground to hug her. Veronica clung to him, her legs going around his waist and her arms around his neck.

“I’m sorry to break this moment,” Fred voice interrupted as he walked into the room, almost chuckling when Vegas berated him by barking.

Both royals blushed, but didn’t let go of each other, until Fred slowly arched an eyebrow to silently ask for decorum. Archie and Veronica reluctantly let go from each other.

“Now,” Fred continued, a small smile playing on his weathered face. “Could you explain how is it that you two hadn’t shared you… _consummated your love_?”

Archie flushed right to his neck and down the collar of his jacket. As did Veronica, whose eyes widened.

“Unfortunately,” offered Fred. “Men in royal lines aren’t taught much about Gyden and the faith. Women are introduced to most of those rules and traditions after the fifteenth birthday, which means Veronica never had the chance to be instructed.”

“Why are you saying this?” Veronica wondered, looking from a shy Archie to an uncomfortable Fred. “What did I miss?”

“We _are_ married,” Archie mumbled, not daring to look away from the toes of his black shoes.

“No. We haven’t done that. We did _consummate_ ,” she explained in an awkward voice. “But we haven’t got married.”

“Antiope nebula is not only a very beautiful place in the system, but also sacred. When you did… what you did, you unknowingly performed one of the most ancient rituals in the faith,” Fred tried to be as serious as possible, but he could find humor in that.

“We got _married_?” Veronica gasped.

“Just in the eyes of the Goddess and Zamt faith, but we must perform an official ceremony. And before that, it’s needed for Veronica to claim her title as Queen of Malina, and until the time comes, Archie will become Prince Consort.”

“What?” Archie squeaked.

“Oh,” Veronica muttered in surprise.

“You’re to rule over him, until you become equals,” Fred quipped, making Veronica giggle. “Now, I will leave you two to talk, and not perform another type of ritual, hopefully. I don’t need a grandchild yet.” Archie and Veronica snorted a laugh. “Meanwhile, I’ll go deal with our guests, with the outrage of Omia and Eritiem, and to explain why the Diamond Dove has left Nignita with Jughead and Betty.”

“They took my ship?” Veronica looked mildly annoyed first, but then grinned. “That’s good for them, I just hope to get my ship back soon.”

 

 

In formal attire, Veronica felt strangely like she had gone back in time. Her white outfit was the traditional formal dress for Malina’s queens. A long white dress with a jacket in military style, with intricate embroidery and beading for golden accents. The cape sleeves allowed her to move more freely, but it forced her to keep a regal posture.

“Should I be nervous?”

Toni scoffed. “I would, if they named me queen.” She then stood before Veronica and helped her with her tiara, pinning it to her hair. “But you look beautiful, the one you love will be at your side, and you’ll finally claim what’s yours.”

“Yet the one thing I want is to be back in space with Archie. Alone and away from those backstabbers.”

The women laughed.

Only two days had gone by since the failed wedding ceremony, and Betty and Jughead were still missing. The decision to perform Veronica’s crowning ceremony had been Fred’s only chance to make use of all the guests and the preparations – also, he had been excited to finally be able to fulfil his promise to Hermione.

The Royal Hall had been covered in Malina’s colors. Ogglep flowers decorated the podium in which Fred was waiting with her crown. Archie was next to him, smiling and looking as handsome as ever – no more sadness for them.

Veronica walked slowly towards them, taking her time as Fred had instructed. She carefully climbed the steps up the podium with the help of Archie, who held her hand.

“Here we found ourselves to honor our traditions, to respect our blood, and to commit to our people,” Fred announced. “Before me stands Veronica Cecilia Lodge, rightful heir of Malina.” He smiled at her. “Do you promise to protect the Verdaleir system, keep the peace, and do everything in your power so people can flourish?”

“I promise,” replied Veronica as solemnly as she could.

“It’s our duty to make sure we allow them to live with freedom, to provide and give shelter to those who need it. Do you understand?”

“I understand.”

“Hereby, I name you, Veronica Cecilia Lodge, rightful Queen of Malina,” Fred finished as he took Veronica’s tiara and in its place set her crown.

As soon as Toni and Midge clapped with joy one time, the entire room heard the click of metal. The noise made Veronica turn around, and just like Archie and Fred, she paled at the sight before her.

Clifford Blossom was aiming a gun at Fred, Cheryl held a crossbow towards Archie, and the Coopers aimed in her direction. The personal guards of the Blossoms and Coopers had withdrawn their weapons as well.

“How could the daughter of a mass murderer become queen?” Alice Copper, Queen of Omia, muttered with venom.

“Why has the King of Terridine allowed it?” Clifford sneered.

“It’s what Verdaleir needs. Us in power,” Cheryl announced with a terrifyingly sweet smile, as the guests gasped.

In that silence, the sound of the hall doors opening was louder than ever, revealing Jughead and Betty in fighting gear. The cyborg aimed his arm in Clifford’s direction.

“Power? You? Not on my watch. Not on my planet,” Jughead shouted, which was enough distraction for Veronica to be able to lift her skirt and grab the two Sirtean dirks strapped to her legs.

“Always prepared to save the people, right?” Veronica muttered as she gave the knives to Fred and Archie. The Andrews men smirked, and watched as she lifted the back of her jacket to retrieve the two guns hidden behind her back, throwing one in Toni’s direction.

Toni took it with ease. “That’s our queen.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the final chapter for this fic. But, is it the last one for this universe? Not sure. I don't like to see this go, because even if it became my craziest AU, I love it. It might not be my most popular fic, but it mixes everything I like, so I hope I can continue writing for them in the near future (I know I have to finish other fics first, so don't worry!)
> 
> To those who have been faithfully following it, I hope this was a satisfying ending (for now) and I'd like to dedicate it to the varchie fam and particularly to the golden girls, who kept encouraging this craziness.
> 
> Also, just in time for this last update, this fic was nominated for the 5th Bughead Fanfiction Awards! Yay! Happy about that as well.
> 
> (I'd like to say that I'm sorry I suck at replying reviews, but it's not that I don't appreciate them, because I love them! You are great!)


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